The Washington herald., 1918-07-30
GEN. EDWARDS
DIVISION GETS
FRENCH PRAISE
Courage, Ardor, Fearless
ness. Discipline" !" Says
Paris Newspaper.
FINE MILITARY VIRTUE
American Officers by Side
Of Their Men, Leading,
Not Sending. to Battle.

High praise for an American d.
vision, believed to be the Twenty.
sixth. under command OF Brig. Gen.
Edwards. II contained In the report
Of a French Corps commander printed
In Paris newspaper. The Twenty
sixth Division Is made up Of New
England National Guard units. many
OF the men being from Boston and
Massachusetts,.
The report details the work Of the
New England fighters in the great
counter offensive fighting Of July
rs. After stating that the troops
elsplayed great courage and that
heir ardor was 50 great at times
nat II was necessary to restrain them.
ne reports recites:
Succeed In Fianking.
On the twentieth Of July, In order
% free Menthieres and the Petrst
Wood. still strongly occupied by the
Germans. severe combats were de-
liyered by the French troops on the
oft.
In oaer to relieve them the Ameri-
ans on the evening Of the twen-
ieth delivered q fianking movement,
fhich succeeded. with magnificent
pUdacity they rushed forward with
single bound up to the plateau
EtrepiIly, the Generic farm and
i.avalmardier. 1t was q very sud
icn attack, which gave a nne IL
iCstratton OF American fearlessness.
In spite of the severe barrase
md the machine gun empIacements
~ which the enemy was sheltered.
e mile and q half was gained They
lso captured three cannon. q large
ape ntneweFfer and maenfne guns.
In addition. zoo prisoners fell into
the hands Of the American division
Il could not have done better
under the same circumstances with
the best French troops declared
Cen Degoutte. of the French forces,
on hearing OF the success of the
Americans.
Huns Furiously Oppose.
''on the capture OF the same. diyi-
sion Of the wood Of Trugny, north
Of Epieds. the Germans furiously op-
posed this attempt and counter
attacked with great energy, but they
learned to their cost the meaning Of
American tenacity.
'Impeded at first In their maneu-
yer, the Americans took the outskirts
of the wood on the twenty-fourth,
went straight into IL and seized A
whole company OF German prisoners
and continued their advance with
such fury that, towards 3 D. m, they
had reached the outskirts of the for
est Of Fere- The same evening they
had crossed the Jaulgonne-Fere-en-
Tardenois road.
Thus the American division had in
six days realized at certain points
% IN hfV-fN N
meters, about twenty-five miles in
depth. fighting day and night without
respite. and giving proof Of the finest
military virtues.
"All their communications were
carried out with perfect regularity on
the right and left. as well as in the
interior OF their operations.
Germans Surprised.
Discipline which filled the Germans
with surprise and admiration anfmat-
ed the attacking sections. They
marched with their officers at their
sides and with closed ranks exactly
as do the French units.
The enemy prisoners could not
cease talking of IL.
We scarcely see those who are
commanding they declared to an
American. You were lucky; you are
like the French. who always have
their officers in mont Of them to
lead them into battle
1T must be added that the French
and American high commands acted
in no less good harmony than the
troops during the operations. The
general commanding the division, who
is leader Of men. never sparing
himself, with broad views. precise or
ders and practical mind, has from
the very nrst treated the problems
that presented themselves with a
mastery Of the situation that has
cost the enemy dear"