South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-02-18
Americans Strain
At Leash to Get
Into Real Action

GRAND HEADQUARTERS or
THE FRENCH ARMY IN FRANCE.
Feb. IS American and French
troops for several DAYS back have
been holding in unison the front
line trenches on one OF the most
/ famous battle nelds of the war the
name OF which is known through
out the world The immediate i'm
! preston gained in conversation
with both French and Americans
facing the enemy side 10y side is thai
the unison is not only of hghtinI
forces. but of firm purpose 10 win
victory by mutual aid.
There IS only one criticism 10 be
made i'm connection with the Amer
leans" said a distinguished French
officer to the spondent who
spent a whole day among tha
Americans holding the line. They
are too anxious 10 get at grips with
the enemy"
American officers confirmed this.
declaring that their chief trouble
was TO restrain their men
Men Well Satisfied.
10 is inadvisable TO designate the
units confronting the Germans, but
! AN the men are bending 90 their
! task and they are anxious 70 have
7 their people al home know that
they are well satisfied and deter
mined To perform 10 their utmost
/ the duties before them.
AS 70 the health OF the meu to-
DAYS record showed that there were
only three sick among the entire
force. comprising several thousand
and thes. are cases of minor impor-
/ lance. Every care Is taken TO pro
/ vide ampI rauons. hot when poss.
& BILE which however is not AWAY
loving TO the exposed position. The
men are fpIv content with this. and
. certainly appear ht and well. They
/ have taken 10 trench and dugout
/ life a- If born 10 IT,.
/ The correspondents in approach
ing the center passed again over
ground which had been the scene
z of many fearful battles in the last
year Wild vegetation hides some
of the wounds inflicted upon the
earth. bun ruined villages, disfg CURED
still testify graphically the violene@
of the long drawn out struggle
which resulted in driving the Ger-
mans baCn.
Americans Are Busy.
Iu the American fighting zone
were to be seen khaki clad working
parties and messengers interminglei
+ with French soldiers ia blue. uni
forms The Americans We're busiiF
occupied immediately near the
lighting line in creating and lnr-
proving rhs wire entanglements ana
/ the trench systems.
Occasionally theg are disturbed hr
I the passage overhead OF German all
scouts.
Several times during the day
small volume III shells from th-
F German batteries came over amidst
/ the workers. 0ut mo- one was hul-
Tor the men mad learned before
reaching the front how 20 act ia
such circumstance and their q SCI
UIine was perfect
Keep Acute Watch
Farther along toward the front
line there was increasing alertness
.
a--tual front line was reached after
. passage through an almost inter-
u1inable. eIuuous communicate
trench. Here an Uas acute watch
! fuIness. and nothing could turn fro'u
his immediate duty any American
I soldier in the line
: Across $50 Man land. where.
+ skilsuily hidden. were French and
/ American detached posts sentr- is
. and machine gunners kept silent
and tense lookout for any enemy
movement. while especially selected
/ observers recorded the fau and ex
/ DIosion OF American shells from the
batteries stationed far On the rea-.
which from time to time pounded
! the German positions with remark
able accuracy