The Washington herald., 1918-11-08
SEDAN CAPTURE
GLORIOUS FEAT.
American Advance Proves
Troops Spirit and Eff
cheney of Staff.

On the eve OF peace the American
army in France, the greatest armed
force ever operating together in the
field under Old Glory, achieved in the
Rapture of Sedan the most notab bic feat
of arms ever recorded in the pages of
the nations history.
Amy officers here confirmed yester-
6sy~ dispatches Of the previous night
<ast in the operations successfully
aaxtied to a conclusion by Gen. PERISH
rs three army corps, totaling half
fsllion fighting men. have made re-
pif forever to the charge that Ameri-
rsn patriotism was dead and that the
Writ of American liberty had been
Gssolved in the sOrdid pursuit of
merCenary greed.
Secretary Baker was overjoyed by
the news Of the taking of Sedan. He
said:
The news of the taking OF Sedan
is very good news; it is great mill
tary achievement At our last report
the Americans were a distance. l be-
lieve, of FIVE or six miles from Sc
dan, in the most difficult country
along the western front, except the
flooded territory in Flanders.
Fine as Anything in War.
The advance Of Pershing's army
from the 18th day OF September to
the first of November. slow. difficult,
in the face of tremendous opposition
and against the strongest kinds Of
positions, and its subsequent very
much more rapid advance. including
the taking of Sedan. il that place
actually has fallen. is as fine a mill
tary achievement in a limited area
as has taken place in the war OF any
time"
American and allied army officers
here who have first-hand knowledge
OF the nature Of the country through
which the Yanks were forced to con-
yey their artillery and supply trains,
and who know the herculean endeaV-
ors which must be put forth by eN-
ery man from commanding officer TO
the last muIeteer to carry on an ad-
vance proceeding with the dlspatch
of that bv the American forces, were
a unit in agreement with Secretary
Baker that the achievement ranks
with any effort put forth by any
army that has opposed the German
army.
A prominent army officer of an
allied nation said:
.sTbe stafr work Of the American
forces
efficiency seldom equaled by a mod.
.ern army. II is beyond words to at
teu1pt to picture the great proolem$
which must be solved to bring about
the advance of a force of half mil
lion men through a hilly and difficult
country such as tFat which has con-
fropted the American forces during
their recent marvellous advance
Worthy Of FOrefathers.
..yftb the coming Of the day of
ueaCe the American military man mas
shown for all time that he has the
rare gift Of organization and the
shirt Of conquer or die, without
which no nation in the past mas
long been able to survive from the
encroa chmeuts of greedy and martial
ueighboring nations In few snort
months. too. the American douEhbOy
has shown that he has the courage
the, daring aud the rssourCefulness Of
his forefathers. for he is now tit to
be ranked a. a fighting man with any
Of the chosen veterans of any allied
array"
The celebration here of the repOT ted
signing Of an armistiCe took from the
public the realiZatiO of what the
victory at Sedan represents Army
officers. however. cOOlly awaiting for
definite and conclusive confirmation
Of the ending Of hosIilities. gave rrpsJ
careful attention to the reports from
the battle front and viewed the day as
one on which the great power AID
courage of the American nation
reached a high tide.