The Washington herald., 1918-05-03
The Americans Are In.

As the thunder of German artillery increases
,lono the Soume in the sector between Montdidier
and Amiens, it becomes apparent that at last the
real baptism OF blood OF the American forces IN
France is at hand.
In Picardy number OF American divisions have
been merged with the French, believed to be about
SIX in number Some of these have been brigaded
in as low as the company and battalion UNITS
Largely however, the regiments has been the unit
of amalgamation In all the preliminary brushes
with the enemy the Americans have given good
account of themselves; vide, the engineers whom
the great Carey invited into his make-shitt forces
after the British Fifth Army had to pieces 1t
was these engineers to whom Berlin referred to as
the North American troops" who were beaten back
near Chauny and who have since been recognized
by the British war office having given most gal
lant service.
1t must not be forgotten that another party Of
American engineers at work on the British
railroad system back of the lines near Cambria
when the Boche made brief surprise attach in
advance of his big push, and they took up their
guns and gave a most valiant account OF them
selves.
As to the exact effectiveness of the brigading
OF the American troops with the French and Brit
ish, OF the real meaning of the unity of COM
mand which was gained when Foeh was appointed
generalissimo, we can do nothing better than to
to the New York Times:
I'VE are able to state on the best authority that
the allied unity of command implies not only the
sole direction of operations by Gen. Foch and the
utilization of in common but also the conf
pletc fusion of the American, British and French
armies
"Henceforth divisions Withdrawn from one battle
sector, may be sent, matter what their nation
ality to any other along the whole line from
the sea to Switzerland.
Hitherto there has been certain parts of the
front set aside as British French American.
Unity OF command changes all that In the battle
sectors there will be fighting divisions of Ameri-
cans, French English. In quiet localities there
will be units OF the three allied armies training for
the big struggle, recovering from the effects Of
having been engaged in it; but all distinctions will
have vanished. The allies now form one army in
France, fighting for purpose under one chief"
A local authority asserts that the United States
will have total of 100000 troops in France with
in the next two months of whom one-thrd or one
half will be combatant troops. OF course this is
absurd overestimate; but it is not too much to
say that least two-thirds of this number will be
the total OF forces in the period.
If the exact figures of the April transport of troops
could be given, the country would be amazed.
Naturally, the presence of this huge army
in France does mean that it can be flung into
the trenches at once; indeed, 1t IS part OF the plan
that the troops all undergo at least short period
of intensive training at the vast camps that the
American army built behind the lines But it is
evident that America at least has needed the sig
nihcant and urgent call from abroad to speed up"
and on the edge of great deeds, great
achievements which will give luster to the
American name-and incidentally make the building
OF the Panama Canal which we have plumed
ourselves, seem puny accomplishment in eompari-
son.
What Of artillery and aircraft? And what of
the complex problems involved in brigading our
forces with the French and British-such for in
stance, that ammunition is not interchange
able with theirs, that rifles and machine guns
own model? These are difficulties which
doubtless already have been disposed Of