The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-12-04
Il|EUT. DEvINE TELLS ABOUT
 TANK MORALE. Returned Officer Addresses Red Cross Auxiliary in
 Stirring Recital. RETURNS TO HOSPITAL TO COMPLETE CURE Arm Badly Injured During Progress of Battle Will
 Be Saved.

s-The spirit of the American troops was unconquerable," says Lieut.. J. J. Devine, formerly 8 lawyer of this city, who has been spending a few days here with relatives while on leave from the hospital at Cape May, where he is being treated for a wound in the arm. "They never could be beaten while they maintained the excellent morale they displayed at the front. It was the coming of the Americans which put heart in the French and British and made the successful out come of the war possible"
 Lieutenant Devine was a member of the l7th Field Artillery and was en- gaRed in the battles on she Marne w.th the Second division, the first American division to face the enemy as an organization Ills artillery was in support of the Marines who mado such gallant record at Cantigny, VAux, and near Chateau Thierry. He went into action early in May at the time the Germans were making their last big drive, and was struck by a splinter of high explosive shell June 26, putting him out of action,
 The Germans were brave, and com Ing down against an almost over whelming fire, he says, were moved down in masses. but still come on un- til the Americans leaped over the top and met them with the cold steel. Then they broke and ran.
 Of the morale of the Americans, he says 1t was unconquerable, and no matter what the difficulty the men met they met it with a smile. They smiled and joked at the hardships of the march, of the camp, and when their time came to go out to meet the enemy they went with yell and rush, with the smile still on their faces, glad of the opportunity to do what they had come 5000 miles to accomplish, facing 30 many hardships
 They didn't seem to know what retreat meant" he continued. "This is Illustrated by one command which had marched for four days and nights to take it's place in the line. The commander was informed it might be necessary to fall back. He is quoted as saying Not by d- sight. We have marched four days and four nights to get here, and we're not going to march four days and nights to go back and then take up g. new place. We came here tonight and we'll fight right here It was this u spirit which stopped the big German \drvie.''
 Many amusing incidents mixed with some which are tragic, are re- lated by the returned officer, one of the first to come to Bridgeport who participated in the big battles of the drive last spring. He reported tnaI his division suffered severly in the engagements.
 In the capture of Vaux, which was one of the early brilliant achievements q battalion, three companies, in con- mand of a Major went over the top When the town had been taken the message was sent back by corporal all of the commissioned officers of the battalion having been put out of ac. ton.
 "It was this capacity for lndividua action, the ability to break away iron what the regulations say and dt thing9 which makes the American soldier so admirable. Every maj knew what was to be done and dit it, commands being not always neces Gary,
 Speaking last night before St. Au gustine's Auxiliary of the America, Red Cross Lieut.. Deviue praised tn excellent work done at the front b the different organizations for tina purpose. particularly the Red Cros and It's organization He had the yer highest praise for the chaplains as signed with the army, all of ther regular men'' as he described them and paid high tribute to the wor of the Knights of Columbus anon the Catholic soldiers.
 "No mother need fear for her bo in the army over there" he told tn Red Cross members. He will com back better man than he went ava if he has any good characteristics ( all It is a rough life. but 1t brins out all that is best in a man. an every thing is done by the war orgar nations to strengthen his charaote Their morals Es well as their mora is being we'll looked after"
 Lieutenant Deyine was fn differel base hospitals in France until late 4 October, when he was sent home ar ordered to a hospital at Cape Ma New Jersey. His wound has heaIe but has left the arm partly incapac tated, and he is now undergoii treatment to restore the use of tn
 member, which authorities tell hi win be successful. He was former engaged fin the practice of law in tf
 eaty, with offices in the Neville building, and graduated from the SC ond Plattsburgh training camp as
 second lieutenant in the regular arm He went to France last January, al attended the artillery school there b
 fore being assigned to his eofnmal
 in the 17th Field Artillery with wti
 he served until wounded June 25,
 Lieut., Devins returned to Ca
 May today where he will be kept i
 some time until his arm has been flu
 restored,