The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1918-11-14

practice march. The ammunition 10
transferred ~ slowly and deliberately
a. though !, were road material for
some peace-time job. Everything 10
scheduled; everything foreseen. 50
tina, there will be no hasty moments
necessary. for these mean blocksdes
and breskdovns and these lead TO bad
things. The speed is in the swift
planning Of action, the ready decision
as q new situation arises, as new
and obstinate resistance is encounter
ed, as a new column Of enemy troops
is spotted, the assignment Of new mis-
sions for infantry and machine guns,
for artillery and aircraft, for supplies.
for medicos, for examination Of pris-
oners. II is a phenomenal thing, this
superb machine with all its intricate
parts, every one Of which must func-
ton perfectly. And as II whirls II
sings just one song. Prepare, prepare
for the next" ! wish that every
fatuous imbecile who says that an
army can be built when the emergency
arises, instead Of before, could see
these sights and learn what phenom-
email accuracy II must have, what long
training its personnel must receive. !
wish those who think training camps
can turn out staff officers could see. !
wish those who sneer at the fine old
regular army could see the amazing
burden which that little group Of
trained officers is carrying over here,
and carrying it to the everlasting
credit Of America and to the delighted
surprise Of the Allies. Do l write too
much Of my conviction that we must
develop after the war a larger trained
army? I'm sorry il do, for ! shall
write still more, and every one who
sees what this staff OF ours is doing
will write and write until all the
people he knows are convinced.
We learn that the attack is over,
and without surprise we learn that all
detectives set for the American troops
in this area and the French alongside
have been captured. The prisoners
pour in, stunned, distraught, many Of
them broken in spirit and gloomily
admitting that this is the beginning Of
the end. A p. m. guarding them dur
ing the examination scowls and fin
gers suggestively the edge Of his bay
onet, at which fat Boche gulps ner-
vously and tries to look the other way.
We 90 back, recorrect the maps, listen
to reviews Of the operation, and drive
on to other sectors. The billets at the
next stop are full, and we are told the
hotels are out Of business. ! leave the
colonel at conference and go out after
more en- couraging information, even
tually to hear voices through shat
tered hotel front and lure outside a
drowsy girl who says she can give us
rooms provided we won't complain in
the morning if we get killed by al
bomb from some sole Boche who is
trying to hit the station. | glance at
the station and fail to see that there
is much left for him to hit and take
the rooms with a calm mind, pick up
the colonel, point out encouragingly |
the wreck across the way and some
what disturbed front, agree with him
that Pm so tired | can sleep in boiler |
factory. and we turn in for a few
hours.
The next day was the best. We find
location little short of amazing and
from early morning until early sunset
gaze on magnificent spectacle, the
infantry attack following heavy
bombardment and accompanied by a
rolling fire by our own guns and
frenzied return by the Boche. The
extraordinary accuracy of the artillery
fire control thrills even one who knows
as little of this branch of the service
as do |. The persistence of the in
fantry, the skill in passing machine
gun nests of one variety, the deter
mination in crushing others out of ex
istence, the relentlessness of the
assault, the superb courage of the men
and their sublime confidence in gall
liant officers who take all their risks
and more, the final exultant cheer as
they rush into the bayonet fighting,
gaze at .spellbound in admiration.
Nothing can stop those Americans Of
ours. They are the same stuff that
Grant loved the stuff which has elicit
ed from the Allies praise which is very
sweet TO the ears and must be inspir
ing to laggard hearts. Again the OBJ
lectives are taken. and we move on to
sector. The next day, which
other times | used to hear spoken of
as day Of rest, we spun around TO
the south Of Chateau-Thierry and up ;
on a bit Of the Marine front, and that
night, regretfully, back to this sylvan ;
my mind chaos of ruin and ;