Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-04-29
j, s, TROOPS BAR
BOCHES' ROAD To
THEIR PARIS GOAL
March to Place on Battlefront TO
Music of Star Spangled Banner,
as Band Instruments Reflect
Gun Flashes of Enemy.
UNDER HIGH COMMAND

With The American F0FceS IN NOftnefn
France, Sunday. April 2S. American
troops have taken up positions on the
battlefront Under the French high COM
mand, in which all ranks have supreme
confidence, the American forces face the
enemy on the line barring the Germans
from Paris and Amiens. where they have
n certain number of days.
The Americans. ON entering the llne,
found their position in n rolling ter
rain Their artillery was the first on
the line. entering on dark night which
was made red bv the continuous flashes
Of friendly and hostile guns. nder
fire which IN Some cases was rather heavy,
the American gunncrs took up the posi-
tions Of the French batteries and conn
pleted the work Of digging in.
When the infantry moved N, the firing
was just as intense. In some places, our
troops after passing through villages
were raked now and then with shrapncl
In several instances they found the
trenches shallow while in other cases
there were no trenches ~ All Ply this
time the positions have been improved
greatly and the shell holes connected
The American lines generally are about
300 to 400 yards apart and the high
ground is about evenly divided.
AMERICANS Confident.
" hat the future holds for the ameri-
can forces Is. Of course. unknown, but the
Americans are confident that they, under
efficient French direction. although the
tasks ahead may be difficult, will give
good account Of themselves and strike the
boche blow when the opportunity offers
II should be understood that this sec-
tor is not especially active IN comparison
with others to the north although Il IS
more active than those the Americans
have previously faced The artillery fir
ing Is heavy and intermittent, the Ger
man shells whizzing over the lines into
towns in certain rear areas
There has not been RAID on either
side OF the line for several days, but at
night the patrols are active. All dur
ing the night rapid machine gun and rife
FIRE Indicate where the American bullets
are keeping out enemy patrolllng parties
The parch from the billet bases to the
line was very impressive. Many units
started of with the strains Of the star
Spangled Banner played by reglmental
bands, IN their ears
At one place the tune must have reached
the German line so close was the band,
the gun flashes being reflected on the
instruments. The constant roar Of ar
tillery was deafening rs the Americans.
as if marching on parade, disappeared
down the road past the American bat
teries. which were sending many shells
into the enemy lines.
HAD BIT FEW DAYS REST.
The training period for the American
troops lasted few days after which they
moved to within sound OF the guns.
There they rested while awaiting orders
10 go into battle, at the same time giving
the last touches TO their equipment.
Many an infantryman curled up IN hls
blankets under the stars, the more lucky
having beds OF straw in houses Or barns.
The officers Jared about the same. All
appeared unmIndful of their hardshlps
During the whole. movement the num-
Der OF men reporting sick has been
extraordinarily small. The doctors say
that in many cases the men apparently
put off making such reports because they
feared they might be sent to the hospital
and lose their chance of taking part u
the great battle.
For a few days before the troops went
into the trenches the officers took ener-
getic measures to suppress false and Vi
cious reports regarding the progress OF the
battle The Americans on this front
believe now nothing unless officially
reported
SHARED RATIONs WITH REFUGEEs.
Along some of the roads over which
the Americans passed they encountered
streams of refugees going the other way.
More than one infantryman has shared
his rations with some French family
whose only home was a farm wagon
containing a few of the most cherished
possessions.
On the evenings before the troops enter
ed the line diversions We're provided Tor
them The reglmental bands played IN
almost every town where troops were
billetted and they played the latest Amerl-
can tunes. brought over for them. Fhous-
ands of men gathered TO hear the bands,
even standing in pouring rain to listen
to the shrapnel helmeted musicians and
whistIing all the tunes they knew.
The Anne leans have brought in many
French soldiers with whom friendship
has been struck up.
Announcement that American troops
had entered the Allles line III Picardy
east OF Amlens was made by the Paris
War Office last Wednesday night The
Germans that day attacked the British
French and Americans along lengthy
front north of the Somme 10 below Castel
Particularly stubborn fighting occurred
at Hangard from which the French were
driven but part Of which they regained
Friday
4 Paris dispatch Thursday announced
that more than 100 wounded Americans
had reached Paris hospitals from the
battlefront.
"HARMONY" DISCUSSED.