The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-07-25
MARINE BATTLE SHOWS FIGHT
ING SPIRIT OF YANKEE
TROOPS.
By FRED S. FERGUSON
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent.)
Copyright, 1918 by the United

Press.)
With the American Army in France,
July l. (By Mail.)-As the world en-
tiers its fifth year, the fighting forces
of America hold the balance of power
in the greatest struggle in the time
of man.
The fighting men of America have
been tried on the worlds most his
toric battlefields. and have proven
that for bravery. for stamina, for all
of the things that takes to win battles
they need bow to none.
The American in the field is man
of fighting heart.
He represents Americas balance of
power that will carry the democracies
of the world to victory over German
autocracy.
But how this power is administered
how it is led, how it is equipped. how
it is fed, how it is clothed, how it is
munitioned, how it is given "eyesight"
by airplanes that it shall not fight in
the dark, how it is nursed when ill
and wounded-upon these things de-
pends the distance to victory.
NO PAUSE TILL VICTORY.
1t may near, or it may be. far, and
Americans, Frenchmen, Britishers
(and Germans) may know that the
American fighting man will not con-
slider his job done, until the Allied
cause is victorious. But the distance
is NOT to be measured by the resist
ance of the German alone. lncompe-
tence at home, faulty leadership in
any of the branches dealing with the
war is going to mean longer path.
and a path dyed with American blood.
Representatives of Americas bal
ance of power are arriving in France
by hundreds hourly. AS this is writ
ten more than 1,000, 900 men have land
ed. Every man brings the hour OF
victory nearer, but the administration
the leadership. must be behind him.
1 have been with the Americans in
every important action to date. from
the first raids in Lorraine to the TAX
ing of Cantigny in Picardy and the
second battle of the Marne. The men
taking part in these actions we're from
every corner Of the United States.
They ranged from newly enlisted men
to veterans.
But always there was the same spir-
it, regardless of the difficulty of the
10 I'd hi inv rhpar-
full obedience of orders, anxiety to
get at the job and complete it, and
certainty in execution and then mod
est disclaimers of having done any
more than was their duty. or more
than any other American would have
done.
IN TRAINING. .e- -ts-
During the early months of this
year, the Americans in France were
merely training. They could not be
figured as real fighting units in the
intricate game of trench warfare.
First, northwest of Toul. then on the
Chemin Des Danes, then near Lune-
vile, and later near Verdun and in AL
SAGE, American units appeared. They
were put in the line with the French,
and soldiers and officers alike learned
from their French instructors the tao
tics of the new war game. 1t was an
irksome job. Losses were always un-
necessarily heavy at first. Then the
Americans began to learn. They
learned when to keep quiet-in other
words when il was to their advantage
reliable troops. When the gigantic
German offensive broke in March
some were put permanently into the
line in the Bacarat region and north
west of Toul in the place of French di-
visions which were rushed away to
the big battle line. Others followed
the French and in Picardy took their
place in the line which they still hold,
and which they extended by the cap
ture of Cantigny.
On the Marne as bright page as
is to be seen in American history
was written by the Americans who
stopped the German advance there
For five days they fought INCREASINGLY
They met the best divisions OF the
German high command could throw
against them. All were turned back
Munition carriers, ambulance men.
supply men-in fact everyone
worked, or fought day and night. 1t
was the extreme test of American
stamina to date, and was met glori-