The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-05-29
"a tJ9,s N ~ ~
IMERCAN TROOPS STEM DRIVE
CONTINUED, from Page One)

in front, killing Germans. Later this
front line would retire through, leav-
ing the boys who had just re-estab.
lished themselves in the new position
to kill the oncoming Germans.
rs',,tF': How, They Retreat.
n or course the whole line of soldiers
facing and firing at the oncoming Ger
mans do: not suddenly cease firing,
turn about and retreat. When the
front line goes back groupes of men
with machine guns are left mold the
Germans as long as possible, to en-
able the main line to retire. To illus
/. trate: I had. been decided to evacuate
a. certain small village. Thirty ma
chine gunners were selected to remain
with orders not to retreat. They were
stationed at the best protected points
about the village; and the withdrawal
of the main body of troops was. ef-
fected while these thirty martyrs pep
pered the oncoming foe. Every man
of the thirty was killed as was learn.
ed later when the village was retak-
en-, But within the range of the gun
of every one of them there were nine
rows of dead Germans.
Deeds of heroism that surpass this
are unrecorded, unthinkable. To &C
cept such a service without protest,
to see his comrades fall back from
his support, to deliberately set about
the serious business of the last few
moments of his life, to see the on
coming Of the huns and to have the
nerve to shatter their line, breathing
a prayer that he may live a minute
longer to shatter it again, that his
comrades may be saved "Greater
love hath no man than this, that he
lay down his life for his friends"
Poets have dreamed of such deeds
and have written of Horatius at the
Bridge, and of Winklereed, but never
before did such things actually hap
pen.
or course this cannot last forever,
and when the Germans have lost all
the men they can afford to lose, they
will dig themselves in and trench war
fare, will be resumed, unless the allies
make, counter offensive.
Dr.. Geo. c.. Pidgeon, pastor Tor
ento Presbyterian church, came with
Welts.. He is a commissioned captain
In the Canadian Y. M. c. A. service.
Canada commissioned her Y men. His
work is just back of the line held by
the Canadians at Vimy Ridge. He
left the front for rest. He was not
compelled to leave for the Canadians
have not retired. That part of the
line they hold has not been attacked,
therefore they have not participated
in the. hand to. hand fighting. They do
not fear attack, in fact have invited it
by raids and commandments. No troops
have fought more valiantly or at
greater sacrifice than these neighbors
of ours.
Germans Surprised at Canadians.
A German prisoner told me that the
greatest surprise they had had was
the fighting ability of the Canadians.
They had thought that men who had
never been in war, who had never had
training, couldn't or wouldn't
fight, and that they were afraid now
that the US. soldiers would prove
as dangerous as the Canadians. DR..
Pidgeon says the, only, fear they have
is that the British line on either side
may Yield and they will have to fall
tells the same story OF the orderly re-
tirement and killing of Germans.
A third visitor was French soldier
who was slightly wounded, only brOk
en- rib. by q shell that killed five of
his comrades. His name is, Alfred
Duval, and hetis cousin to the steward
of our officers club at this camp. He
will return to the front in ten days.
"Only broken rib, proof" said he,
'''it's nothing didn't want to leave.
Look" and pulled up his trouser leg
and showed me how half the calf of
a leg had been shot away.
"Verdun," he explained. Then he
unbuttoned his collar and disclosed an
ugly hole in his shoulder. 'Three
months he said, tapping his leg, and
"six weeksl' tapping his shoulder.
That's all the liberty leave I've had
since the war began until this" tap
ping his rib.
This fellow is forty years old with
snappy, black eyes, true type Of
the fighting French soldier. He
hasn't the slightest doubt of the out
come of the war, and is anxious to
get back. He was wounded at Noyon
where the French came to the relief of
the British in the present fight Like
every other Frenchman he is pinning
his faith and hope on the United
States.
An Appeal to Americans.
o, my countrymen, if you could on
" realize at home. as we do here, the
gripping need of France and England
for our help! Don't you hear their
cry, Come over and help
ls!" This simple peasant French SOL
der voices the faith and hope that ev-
cry free man in France and England
has in our great republic Today hui
manity with all its fears, with all its
hopes of future years, is looking to
America America, the Saviour of CIV
Ilizati0n. Longfellow must have had |
this day in mind when he penned the
immortal lines, "Our hearts, our hopes,
our prayers, our tears are all with
thee, are all with thee"
Shall we fail in our great mission?
Let every obstacle be removed. Let
he blatant mouth of every pacifist
be closed. Let every sympathizer with
he enemy be interned. Let every
Prussian propaganda be- shot. Let
he .camouflage of religion be torn
rom every athlete divinity student