Arizona republican., 1918-10-11
FACING DEATH TANKS SCORN BOCHE DEMAND
 TO SURRENDER
Lost Battalion Writes One Of Most Brilliant
 Pages of Heroism Durins
 History of World War

| ages OL IlcIOlSlll Dull III History of World War WITH THE AMERICAN FORCES NORTHWEST OF NERDUN, Oct 10. .tEv Che Associated Press.)-The H.i irhtcst spot in the heroic and amaz- ing story of the HOW famous lost bat fauon" which belonged to the 7lth di- ts.ou was the climax 10 the fourth day of the troops belcagurement in the Arronno forest
 When the men were long foodless sUd almost wholly without ammuni- tIon and when many were weak from exhaustion, hut not one despairing, an American who had been taken prisoner hs thc Germans suddenly appeared at tuc little camp surrounded in the val lev.
 Tho man had been sent blindfolded from the German headquarters with upcwrittcn note to Major Whittlesey, reading:
 Americans. you are surrounded on an sides. Surrender in the name of humanity. You will be we'll treated" Major Whittlesey did not hesitate fraction of a second.
 Go 10 he'll" he almost shouted. N Then he read the note to those around hin and his men eheered so loudly that the Germans heard them from their observation posts.
 Too Eager; Surrounded
 x composite story. gleaned from a dozen recitals. reveals that the bat 'alion. when ordered 10 advance last Friday. pushed it's way rapidly ahead through the forest and, in its eager ness to catch up with the retreating Germans. gradually spread out and widcucd It's ranks. This allowed the Germans to infiltrate unseen behind Tho Americans and they fell directly into cunning trap which the Germans had set for them.
 The enemy had planned to catch the Americans in a hollow surrounded on an four sides by heights. the greatest of which was a steep hill directly ahead. The Americans. who were not accustomed to forest fighting and were nilcd with eagerness. dashed into this hollow without stopping to think that Tho enemy might be awaiting them. Tho members of the battalion were at first checked by their own artillery harraEc. which had worked steadily forward. Nevertheless. it had not worked as fast as the troops them- vclves and the battalion proceeded halfway mp the hill and there they waited for the barrage to pass in front of them. Then they discovered that the Germans on both sides had jointly fiankcd them and had closed in upon their rear.
 Chilling Fire Harasses Them
 sheltered only in shallow and hastily constructed trenches. the men were subjected to a grillng, sniping ma - shinc-gun fire, as well as a trench mortar hordment, every time they .howcd themselves. only with the rrcatest difficulty and with extreme caution could they move from place to place and keep guard against surprise attacks.
 The battalion had started with mcacre rations. expecting more tc reach them later. These. of course ,ould no longer be transported to them i' was the greatest good fortune that they were fairly well supplied witt water
 Nightly and daily though, they sent back volunteer scouting parties. but il these reached tho positions in the reai without being captured or killed, they
 
 Daily American aviators. searching yainlv for them. flew overhead. but nc nlicrv thc men could make brough anything but a vollcy of shouts anC isughicr from the Germans in iron and behind and 10 the right and lief of them.
 Germans Constantly Watching
 The heleaguered men discovered there were German machine gun nest ail around them. every fifteen feet O so. and for a man to show himself eve so briefly. was the signal for a sweep ing rain Of bullets. If a man mad an unusual noise. trench mortar pounded the vicinity viciously.
 Just for diversion the enemy made practice of sweeping the whole terraii the hillside where the improvise, trenches were located and the valley il which the men crawled to get leave and water-regularly and then irregu larly with machine guns.
 Snipcrs were constantly on watch German Us pounded the locality an hand Ercnades. also. were hourly il evidence. The Americans had no rock cfs or other signals and they wer voNcrless to attract the attention c any one but the Germans.
 Hungry But Ever Hopeful
 AS the days passed the American -rcV more and more emac.ated an more and more bearded. but they neve gave mp hope. There was nothing bu Erim determination Co hold out un ui inc last man was finished Ther vas not a man In the battalion wound ci. or otherwise. hungry or starvet hut secuted the idea of surrende Thcir ammunition was depleted to point where the few machine guns fhc outfit had but one belt of cart ridges apiece. and the rifle ammunitio was running SO short that they had re arived orders not to fire at any or attacking. until within such shoi range that his death or serious injur was almost inevitable.
 Major Whittlesay. who is a we known New Yorker had his entire bat faiion behind him to a man. Captai leo Stromee Of san Bernardino. Ca told the Associated Press. His me fecrcd at the idea Of surrender ar Tho men who came out of the fol days siege are united in declarir hat they never would have given up