South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-12-05

the main artery OF the German sup
ply system, was cut. The entire
available strength OF the American
army in France. IS divisions. were
tn line In the second week Of Octo-
Der. he says. making yard by yard
progress against desperate enemy
resistance which finally was worn
out and on November 1. the Ameri-
can troops broke through" The OBJ
ject OF the drive the strategic con
ception OF which included the Brit
ism drive at the northern end OF the
railway system and the French ad-
vance in the center. was accomplish
cd on Nov. z. when the Americans
entered the outskirts Of Sedan 10 be
Joined there the next day by the
French
Scaled Doom Of Huns.
The meeting Of French and Am
erican troops on this historic spot"
/ Mr.. Baker says, 'signalized the de-
feat Of the German arms. a defeat
as decisive and humiliating as that
! forced upon France AZ years be-
/ fore at the same spot. If there had
/ been questions before as 10 the &C
/ ceptance Of the arInistice terms, the
allied advance eliminating in this
meeting at Sedan left no choice in
/ the matter"
In sketching the building up Of
the war army. Mr.. Baker selects a
\ few striking figures as Illustrations
OF what each step meant and what
has been accomplished. on the day
/ the armistice was signed he de-
clares more than % per cent Of the
entire male population of the cOun-
try between the ages of IS and 81
was in the military service. the army
I having reached a total Of 1864. O09
men, more than 100000 Of whom
were in Europe, as compared with a
strength of 1854 in March, 1917.
a week before war was declared.
illustrates Speed.
To illustrate the speed OK this ex-
pansion, the report cites the fact
that the British army in France had
reached its high mark in the sum-
mer Of 1917. three years after the
/ beginning OF the war, and that fig
ure was Slightly more than 1000
! 600 men" II took 10 months for
the United States to reach the same
strength there, but Mr. Baker points
out that during those years Of battle.
/ British manpOwer had been heavily
called upon to replace casualties,
while for many months the flow Of
/ American troops all went 20 aug
ment the force being assembled. To
/ some extent this was offset, he adds.
\ by the far greater transportation
difficulties Of the American project.
Recapitulating the total American
| casualties. 236.1OS men as already
announced Mr.. Baker said the
deaths due TO battle alone were &c.
900 and that half of the wounded
reported probably suffered slight
injury" He adds that Federal bat
lie fatalities in the Civil war totalled
10000; Japan lost $4,000 men in
the Russo-Japanese war and Ger
many lost $4,000 in the Franco
Prussian war.
Speaking of the selective service,
Mr.. Baker makes this observation.
without discussing the question Of
universal military training. soon to
arise:
AT that time (when his preceding
annual report was issued) there was
ample evidence that the selective
draft was a swift, effective and just
means of securing the military
strength necessary for the conduct
of a great war. The experience Of
the past year has strongly re-
enforced that conviction"
Discussing the extensive engineer
ing undertakings in France, the
need for which has ended with the
signing OF the armistice, Mr.. Baker
gives this hint at the policy the
government is pursuing
steps have been taken 10 reduce
orders and cancel contracts for such
items as will not be needed in
France In this connection. how
ever, care is being taken to assure
ourselves that we are not depriving
France OF material which she so ur-
gently needs 10 replace that worn
out during her terrific self-denials
of the past four years. We can not
refuse to render all the assistance
possible in the reconstruction Of
that heroic nation"
Under the heading of Fighting
I Equipment for the army" Mr.. Baker
gives a summary of what was &C
lcomplished in providing ordnance for
the army. When the armistice was
signed 3O.SS1 complete units had
been contracted for on Nov. 1 10
GA had been delivered. divided as
follows. Trench 5000; light Geld
guns $3.50; medium, 1870; heavy.
SOS: railway. 10 The contracts were
divided as follows. Trench 11.700;
light. 1O113; medium, $685.; heavy,
SAP; railway, 211.
As 10 rifles, Mr.. Baker shows that
|2,137.O25 Of the modified Enfelds
had been accepted prior 20 Nov. l.
Browning machine gun production
is given as follows: Light. 47019;
heavy. 9.546. The following cable
gram is quoted 10 show the perform
anCe Of the Browning guns in action:
Experience of Seventy ninth Di-
vision in offensive operations Sept
% 20 oct 21. Browning machine
guns Thirteen machine-gun com
panies engaged weather conditions
continuous rain and mud
There was not one instance where