Mexico Missouri message., 1918-04-04

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my who wages the same war against
women and children as against sol
diers. Aerial raids on towns, which
are counterpart of the pitiless subma-
rine war and the attack against Ameri-
can rights, are the very explanation of
the reason why America entered the
war. We are sending our soldiers TO
Europe to fight until the world is de-
livered from these horrors"
Ia
While no official announcement has
been made, the general impression
prevails that new plans of the Ameri-
can war department call for the dis
patch of American troops TO France
much more rapidly than was proposed
in the earlier plans. The indications
are that an effort will he made to
bring the American expeditionary
force up to a strength of approximate
ly 100000 men by the middle of the
summer instead of 100000 men as
was contemplated by the original plans
of the war department. The dispatch
of many National army units is expect
ed soon in accordance with the plan
that has been adopted of forming an
army corps out of two divisions of the
regular army, two divisions of the Ma
tional Guard and two divisions of the
National army. AS many units of the
National Guard are already overseas,
with the larger number of regular army
divisions, 1t is expected that the move
ment of several divisions of the Ma
tional army will follow soon.
That the movement of troops will
be more rapid than was at first be-
lieved possible is indicated by the an
nouncement Of the war department
that the second draft. which will be
made as soon as needed legislation
can be secured from congress, will call
out approximately 100000 men. Only
the rapid movement of many divisions
now In cantOnments in this country
could make room for this large num-
Der of new draft men. In this cOnnec-
tion 1t Is predicted abroad that Cen
Pral Pershing's men will he holding
100 miles of front by the closing days
a.
nv the British armies two years after
the war began.
Americans at home continue to he
electrified by reports Of the exploits
of Pershing's troops In the sectors
which are now held by the Americans.
Successful raids have been made re-
hxyA hn WI
the American artillery has won many
duels with the big guns of the enemy.
One raid on the new United States
| front In Lorraine was declared to. he
| the most successful encOur'ar in which
| American soldiers have engaged dur
| ing the war. In this raid. infantry
units penetrated the enemy lines TO a
| depth of between 400 and 600 yards at
some points. The raid followed hom-
bardment by American guns which
lasted four hours and which wrecked
the enemy's front trenches and barbed
wire entanglements. Three successive
raids at different points on this sector
| all proved highly successful, the Amer
leans capturing number of prisoners
| and returning to their own trenches
with small casualties. In a raid on
the Toul sector, the American soldiers
| penetrated the German trenches to a
depth of 300 yards. After some hand
to-hand fighting in which a number Of
the enemy were killed and wounded,
the raiders returned to their lines with
much material and information, al
though they captured no prisoners. 1t
was reported that every American who
left the front line on this raid re-
turned.
The American troops in the TOul
sector have been subjected to terrific
artillery fire, the German apparently
having concentrated strong forces Of
artillery on this sector. 1t was re-
ported that In some places the bonn
bardment reduced the first line
trenches to ruins but the Americans
at those points continued to hold their
positions in shell craters. The Ameri-
can artillery also has been active on
all sectors held by Pershing's men,
bombarding towns and roads in the
rear of the German lines.
-@-
The first permanent advance Of the
American troops was made On the
Luneville sector, where Pershing's men
occupied enemy trenches which they
had forced the Germans to abandon
through recent raids and heavy artil-
lery fire. The trenches were consoli-
dated with our own, enabling the Amer
leans and French to operate from high
er ground than before. Attempts made
by the Germans to retake the position
were repulsed.