Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-09-13
BAKER VIEWS
START OF BIG
YANKEE PUSH
War Chief and Other No
tables at Front as Amer
leans Open Drive.

With the American Army in
Lorraine, Thursday. Sept. l.,
tBy the Associated Press. -
The allied offensive on the
western front for the first time
is dOminatingly American. the
French cooperating. and in
military sense ii j. regarded a.
IA continuing phase OF the bat
tie which began early last sum-
meT.
Newton ID. Baker. American
secretary OF war. with several
other nOtableS Witnessed the
beginning OF the battle from the
vantage point OF French fort
close behind the middle OF the
line.
1t was precisely / o'clock of a
rainy. mOonless night when a single
dash of flame shot across the Sky.
I 1t was followed by other flashes
which gradually merged into
sheet Of white light on the horizon.
Gradually there began 10 roll
+ from this fiame-lit area a mighty
.
tinguished now and then the crack
and boom Of German shells burst
ing.
Sky Lighted by Fire.
The front over which the attack
was made was so extended that
the brilliant bands of vivid light
soon stretched from far eastward
to westward, lighting up the clouds.
Soon there began to arise star
i-Shells, signal rockets and fares
thrown up by the enemy to betray
the Americans should they leave
their trenches suddenly to begin an
! infantry attack. To this general
| color scheme there was soon added
a reddish glow as ammunition
dumps exploded and buildings set
on fire behind the enemy lines be-
gan TO blaze and an ammunition
dump, giving off this color, eXplod-
ed about O'Clock
The character Of the artillery ere
changed slightly, lessened 4 little
in intensity, and German star shells
burst with more frequency as )
O. clock approached as though the
enemy suspected that was the hour
set for the infantry attack.
Over Top at O'Clock.
More and more ammunition
dumps exploded just before > the
artillery BON mbardment suddenly re-
sumed It's original intensity and as
the sky was beginning to be tinged
with dawn it again took on a white
look along the horizon. Precisely
at O'Clock the thunder of the guns
accompanying the glare of light
stopped and in the sudden silence
the Americans went over the top.
All along the lines could be heard
the Chattering of the German ma
chine guns and then suddenly the
thunder commenced again when a
barrage was laid down to protect
the soldiers as they approached the
German trenches.
In the battle has been brought
all the elements OF modern war
fare. While the artillery was play
ing its role, the airmen and the tank
crews worked over their machines
prepa ratory to taking their part in
the biggest show the Americans
have given.
.irInen Are Active.
There was no suggestion OF aerial
supremacy. or should not be
French planes and French airmen
supplemented the American forces
and daylight saw them already in
operation. Ii Tained in the night
and the early hours Of the morning
did not AFFORD the best opportunity
for the aviatOrs but notwithstand-
ing the mist the squadrOnS appear
ed with the dawn. ready for oh
SeryatiOn OF the defense and for Of
fensive combat
There was a high wind during
the day but the balloons were able
to remain up for observation. one
American balloon broke away and
Crifted eastward one OF the Ger
man balloons was aloft near ST.
Nihiel, bat il remained up only five
minutes. The smoke screen the
American gunners placed about
N0ntsec appears to have been sue
cessfuI in preventing the enemy OBJ
servations from that commanding
point.
Find NankS Every where.
While the heavy attacks were be-
ing JlduF OA Lut iADI III anu 'CAh-A
lines OF the ST Mihiel sector
force around the point Of the angle
was iraugur3ting a series of raids,
rushing far into the sides Of the
German body The strength OF the
Germans is not known, bat il is
certain there are al least seven di-
visions in the salient But IL has
been learned that the enemy had
collected a quantity of stores in the
sector and viii doubtlesslv attempt
to remove them. The front under
attack was about A. miles in length.
The French were in the line AZ al
Iotted points But the distribution
Of the forces was such that wher
ever the Germans faced they found
American troops