The daily progressive-miner. [volume] (Ketchikan, Alaska) 1915-1919, 1918-10-09
WOMEN Weep AS
YANkS ARRIVE AT
ST. MlHIEl
(Stars and Stripes)

The capture of st. Mihiel after its
four years of martyrdom is regarded
as one of the most striking incidents
of its kind in the records of the war.
The Germans left the town at p.
m. on Thursday. They had made life
a nightmare for the inhabitants who
had been unable to escape when the
enemy occupied the city. All the
boys from 10 to Is years old had been
deported and the old people forced
to work for the conquerors.
The gratitude of the remaining in
habitants to the Americans was
boundless. They were at last free to
speak without fear or vengeance from
the tyrants that had ruled over them.
The people had lost their ordinary
war time look of WEAKNESS, and the
drive into this queer, wrecked para
disc of gladness was a notable ex-
perience. A French military band
had come in over the first bridge and
was playing in the square, about
which all the remaining inha bitants
had assembled. Their eyes were ra-
diant and their bearing that of pris-
2ners set free. They were volubly
communicative and determined to
treat as hero any one wearing an
American uniform.
The town was only partly ruined.
That part adjoining the river was al
most entirely gone. but there were
scores of houses elsewhere that had
been scarcely damaged. The attack
was such a surprise that the enemy
was unable to undertake his usual
work of wreckage. He laid hands
however. on everything he could
carry out. Sheets and blankets were
tern from the beds and loaded on to
wagons, but it is possible that those
wagons by this time now are in allied
hands. since the enemy had only
twelve hours to escape from one OF
the claws closing across the salient.
The enemy did set fire to few
houses. but the inmates eXtinguished
the flames.
The Germans looted both the banks
during their occupation. The inhabi-
tants had depended largely for sus-
lenance on the food furnished by the
A roIiof or,p,itfoo
Only Women Left
The civilian population of st. Mihiel
almost wholly feminine because of the
forcible removal of practically every
male of military age, welcomed New
ton D. Baker, the American Secretary
Of War and Generals Pershing and Pc
tain when they visited tht village
few hours after it was captured. The
was their official host, but
in reality they were the guests of the
women and the children.
Aged women and girls crowded
about Secretary Baker and the two
generals accompanying him to express
their thanks and pay homage to their
daiiverers. 1t was not merely curio-
sity; it was an emotional outburst
following almost three years of the
suppression. The word
vas passed about that the small civ
iian was the American Secretary of
War whose armies had accomplished
their relief and from half destroyed
houses and from points far removed
from the center of the village inhab-
itants hurried to get glimpse of the
A military band was brought up
from the rear; the" Marseillaise" was
played and the civilians restraint in
the presence of the visitors broke
DOWN completely. Women crowded
forward ostensibly to shake the Sec
7 etary's hand, but instead they kissed
lis hands and wept and then they
Joined in a chorus of thankfulness.
There were no speeches, but many
tines Secretary Baker responded brief
II to expressions of gratitude often
times half Historically uttered by the
women and children.