South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-04
BOOBIES SAY
KAISER PLAYS
LOSING CAME
Prisoners Captured by Ameri-
cans in France Assert Be-
lief Germany Will Lose
IN World War.
WITH TIE AMERICAN ARMY

WITH TIE AMERICAN ARMY
~ FRANCE. saturday. March o.
a plan OF attack. including map
OF the American positions. indicat-
ins every dugout. which was remov-
ed from the body OF the Prussian
captain who led the recent assault
upon the sector northwest of Toul.
shows how completely the Germans
prepare their raids-if. i'm fact this
was but a simple raid not having as
its ultimate objective the retention
or a portion Of the salient.
The map goes into such detail a.
90 show every machine gun en-
placement every trench and every
depression in the ground within the
American lines At the bottom
there is simply a line drawn
labelled our front line. Along
This are I'VE shaded portions. each
marked nest"
-Four rehearsais were held for the
attack and the troops who made il
were specially picked from new ar
rivals Of fresh troops i'm the sector.
hey were told that the Americans
were en- front or them
Come Prom Nests.
After the artillery had nearly lev
elled the American position the Ger
mans started out from their nests.
each Of which contained forty in
fantrymen. one lieutenant and three
pioneers 10 precede the infantry and
five L. follow IT, The two groups
upon the American extreme right
went around this flank and the
CUP upon the extreme left carried
out "a similar movement there. The
TWO srOups in the center had plan
ned 20 attack directly. but the
American defense changed all the
plans. When they were met by the
heavy machine gun ire from the
American lines they saw IL would
be impossible 20 gain footing
there. changed their direction. and
Followed the other groups around
tho flank
Official reports of the iuterio ga-
tion OF the prisoner taken lbs the
Americans show that uI OF them
aid not believe Germany would win
the war. one OF the men told the
Intelligence officers me presumed
that the Americans like the Ger
mans did not want TO nsht. but had
10. The Officers quickly changed
the Germans viewpoint by inform
ing him that all OF the troops n the
attacked positions were volunteers.
strikers Want Peace.
Another prisoner said he was
convinced that the recent strikes i'm
Germeny were caused by desire
Tor peace. adding that AN Germany
wanted the war TO end. He was
certain that no offensive was COM
ing. bat did not believe it would be
iaLncned before April
All the prisoners said they were
sad 10 have been taken prisoners.
especially by the Americans be-
cause they believed they would be
we'll treated
The prisoners accounts showed
that the sector opposite the Ameri-
can position was commanded by
Gen. Stalzmann
Hull OF Hcroism.
The correspondent talked with a
dozen OF the American wounded I'm
their hospital cots. Every one OF
them was anxious 20 tell OF some
deed of heroism or other performed
by his comrades but displayed great
modesty regarding his own exploits.
One youth whose home rs near Sa-
Vanuah. Ca. and who looked 90 be
not more than is years of axe. told
this story.
II was in the front lire when Il
seemed like every shell in the world
started coming our way
IL got into n machine gun en-
placement with another corporal.
whose home is iu Missouri. leaving
my rifle outside Thinss cot so hot
we decided 90 try 90 get 10 q steel
shelter at the end of trench
THE corporal went first but a
few feet away q shell exploded al
most on him and killed him. ] step