The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-03-15
AMERICANS PROVE
WORTH IN BATTLE
OUR TROOPS HAVE BECOME A
FACTOR IN FIGHTING AT
THE WEST FRONT.
Adapt Themselves Readily to Modern
Tactics in Warfare and Are Fear
less in Action, According to
Reports Of Military Men.

Somewhere in Frnnce-The past
fortnight's fighting by American troops
in three different sectors of the west
front shows conclusively the impor-
tance OF the United States army in the
world war and proves that it will be
powerful factor on the front from the
very start
1t refutes, at the same time, the Ger
mans contemptuous statements that it
would require two years to train even
the smallest army to be ready to take
the field.
In the American sector, north of
foul, In the Lorraine sector, and along
the Chemin des Danes, the Americans
met the shock of picked German storm
troops, hurled them back and inflicted
serious losses, and emerged from the
conflict smiling, ready and eager for
another try.
Many of the most optimistic mill
tary leaders and critics are surprised
by the aptitude the Americans show
in picking up knowledge of modern po-
sition warfare forty months after the
others had been engaged. The French
and Germans picked up the new tac-
tics slowly, building stronger In
trenched positions as the enemy artil-
lery grew heavier, devising masks
against gas, then perfecting the masks
as the gases became more powerful
building deeper dugouts as the pene-
of ho ;<r6 chr hx>
came greater. But the Americans en-
tered the struggle, In the thick of It
after three and half years fighting
Readily and rapidly they adapted
themselves to the advanced stages OF
scientific fighting reached by the
others. (,
No small part in the success Of the
Americans so far is due to the fearless
ness of the high command In discard
ing tactics that have been found obso
lete and concentrating upon training II
matters long proved effective. For ex
ample, the handling of pistol, rifle ant
bayonet is being drilled, drilled, drilled
into the American troops, despite thu
reports current for three years that the
day of the infantry man with the guns
is long since over and that the car
fridge and the bayonet have been su
perseded by hand grenades.
Half a dozen defeats of German at
tempts to penetrate the American posi-
tons were due entirely to the fact thai
our troops have confidence in rifle fire
They stand steadily until the enemy II
well within range, and then open up {
deadly fire, causing him to break fol
cover.
The much-scoffed elasticity front
also has been adopted by the American
command which refuses to sacrifice
lives by holding advanced lines heav
lily manned, because heavy losses in
variably result when the enemy con
centrates his artillery or destructive
fire against such lines.
Instead, our troops are distributed
with the aim of escaping unnecesSar,
casualties. Even though the enem.
may be able to enter our front line,
counter-attack Immediately elects him
At this season, especially, the mus
everywhere offers an excellent cushion
for exploding shells, so although tn
men are spattered with mud from heat
to heels, they often escape the stee
splinters. Their helmets also saw
them many wounds.