Sharp County record., 1918-11-22

to exist with Germany. In quick sue
cession came the selectlve service net
for the raising Of an army; Il w,r
appropriation of $3,000,000,000; the
sending of an expeditionary force of
regulars to France under General
Pershing; the registration Of neatly
100000 men for military service
the closing of the first Liberty loan
with a large oversubscription; TIE
drafting Of the state militia into tle
federal service. October q formal aii-
nouncement was made that American
troops in France had fired their first
shot in war;
Nevertheless, the spring of 1918 saw
three huge drives on Paris by the Ges
mans. BY June 1 the Germans We're
within 46 miles of the French capital
in Chateau-Thierry. Unless they We're
speedily stopped Paris would be under
their guns. The plan of the French
was to delay them as long as possible
by rear-guard actions until reserves
could be brought up.
Yankees Stop Huns.
And then took place the thing
which all good Americans were prayer
fully expecting: American soldiers
got into action In American fashion,
under American leadership, with
American artillery and machine guns.
The French commander sent to
Chateau-Thierry an American division
made up Of marines and Of infantry
from the middle West. June the
leathernecks and doughboys moved
into support positions back Of season.
ed French troops, The French We're
forced back and filtered through the
Americans; the support positions soon
became the front.
June 4, about five o'clock In the aft
ernoon, the Germans attacked In force
through a wheat field, in platoon col
umns, in perfect order, supremely con-
fident. The Americans raked them
with shrapnel and machine guns. Then
they opened with rifle fire. Cool, un-
hurried, they picked their shots as II
at target practice. Military experts
will tell you that the American ma
rines are the most effective fighting
men in all the armies Of the world; cer-
tainly they have no equals with the
rifle
The Germans wavered, then came
on again. Twice more they stepped !;
twice more advanced. Then they broke.
Flesh and blood could not stand that
rifle fire. They crawled Off through the
standing grain. The Americans sent
bullets wherever the wheat stirred.
That'was the end.
Days ard nights Of heavy lombard
ment followed. Sleep was impossible.
The Americans lived on monkey
meat bread aud water. Then they
went on and took the town Of Boures.
ches, cleaning out the nests Of machine
gunners with rife fire, bayonet ard
grenade.
What They Have They Hold.
Next they took the Bois de BelleauD
It was jungle, II was every man for
himself, Indian fashion, FROM tree to
tree, from rock to rock The battal-
ion Of leathernecks which took the
wood went In with 05S men and 20
officers. They came out with $40 men
and seven officers. But they took
the wood, Then they dug themselves
in and fought Off counter.attacks for
five days until relieved, constantly
shelled and gossed, not one hot meal
all that time. What the leathernecks
have they hold,
This one division used up five crack
divisions Of the Germans.
There are those among the allies
who say that the Americans Mt Cha
teNu.Thierry saved Paris, just as the
Canadians saved CNlNis, When the
military history Of the Great War Is
written Chateau.Thlorry Is likely to
be called the turning point Of the
struggle. For It's moral force was be-
yond estimate, II put new heart into
the w0r.worn French and British, All
France famed with Joy, The Amerl.
cans ha dstopped the Hun, had driven
him bnck, had beaten him Off. And
thousands upon thousands OF Just such
Americans were In plain sight pushing
to the front
General Foch In supreme command
Of the niles on the western front. soon
afterward launched the allied offensive
and victory followed victory all along
the fghtlng line Of 250 miles from the
North sen to Verdun. II was the be-
ginning Of the end,
BY early october the Hun was beat.
on 10 HIS knees and asking for pence.
October ~ the Italians utterly routed
the AustrlNns, The same day Turkey
surrendered, November Austria
signed IN armiatlee virtually amount.
ing to unconditional surrender, No
vember 0 Kaiser Wilhelm abdcated
and Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm
rencunced the throne, both fleeing TO
Holland to escape people In revolu.
ti0n.
so the mad ambition Of Emperor
William II Of Germany to conquer the
world and his 10 yenrs OF dehnuchlng