The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-24
SAY YANKS Ran
Hun Propagandists Tell of Ire
mendous Casualties.
Saw ~Hundreds of Thousands"
Were Sacrificed to Guns.
is SAME OLD GERMAN DOPE
Lie To Keep Up Courage
Among Their Own People.
Also To Cause Depression and
DissensiOn Among Allies.


Amsterdam, July 24.-Telegraphing
from the Aisne-Marne battle front un-
der date of Tuesday evening, the cor
respondent of the Wolff Bureau. the
semi-official German news agency,
says:
Continuing their attack between
the Aisne and the Marine. the French
for the first time employed American
cannon fodder in comparatively large
numbers as an addition to their Sem
egalese auxiliaries.
Killed Hundreds OF Thousands Yanks.
Dense masses OF blacks and Amer
leans were hurled against the German
line, They paid for 1t. some hum
dreds of thousands of killed negroes
and Americans. In some places they
advanced to attack sixteen waves deep.
One wave after the other broke down
in the German artillery and machine
gun. fire.
Next day they renewed their as
sault with gradually less force.
1.-The third day the American infan-
try began to halt at the first rush,
throwing themselves down as soon as
the German artillery commenced.
Say Americans Ran.
when the firing continued they re-
tired rapidly so that at times their at
| tack became a hurried flight.
ION many occasions the German
infantry stood up in the trenches and
while standing there received the
Americans with salvos of rifle fire.
I'm the attack on July 81. American
battalions of the Second division ad-
vancing thru the ravine of VisioneuX
were caught in the fire of German ma
chine guns which covered the ravine
from the sugar works at Noyant. They
| I'M e6i a ia I'M al
| American casualties on July 10 and
20. especially officers, were exception
| ally severe. Prisoners say some regi-
tments were annihilated."
| Washington Brands Lie.
| Washington, July 24.-The VOLTS
bureau dispatch coming by way Of
Amsterdam today purporting to pic
ture tremendous sacrifices among the
American troops in the great often
| sive and containing carefully phrased
references to the Americans being
pushed forward with black troops, is
characterized by officials here as the
| same sort of an attempt to create a
| depression in the United States as
| German official and semi-official
| channels have repeatedly turned upon
the French and British.
Any reference to the American
ridiculous. 1t is well known that they
have been brigaded fifth British and
French troops as well as operating by
divisions among themselves. Any
statement that any particular class of
troops has been picked for sacrifice
| is said by officials to be unworthy of
notice.
American forces have probably suf-
fered heavy casualties, but they have
not yet begun to appear in the Off
cial lists. Last Saturday General
March. chief of staff, gave warning
hot +1,A
thing. but added that the government
had as yet no knowledge of what It
would be.
Same Old Hun Propaganda.
From time to time the German Of
| fetal statements have attempted to
create depression and dissension in
Great Britain's colonies by declaring
the Canadian and Australian troops
were being sacrificed on the first lines.
Then the German propaganda turned
to the French with insidious state
ments that the French territorials. in
Guiding the Senegalese and the Nor
rocans, were being butchered A lit
tie later the same methods were used
In an attempt to inflame the negro
population of the United States with
statements that American negroes
were placed in the line of fire to
is regarded as being wholly in the
same class. When the American
casualty list begins to come in officials
are confident 1t will not be inconsis-
, tent with tn. results nor with the
sacrifices of the French.
Losses Probably Light in First Rush.
1t appears likely that the Franco
American losses in the first rush of
: the battle were less heavy than was
to have been expected. The blow was
, a surprise and German positions that
could not have been taken otherwise
except at great cost fell before the
enemy kn5w that the battle was on.
Skillful employment of French tanks
also, undoubtedly reduced losses in
the first thases of the attack, always
the most costly in casualties.
If the Hundreds of thousands OF
dead in the German dispatch is meant
to refer to Americans only, its utter
. incredibility appears at once for there
are not more than 100000 American
engaged all told, in all likelihood
That the American force is still very
much alive is shown by the fact that
| it is still moving ahead and taking
towns, prisoners and guns from the
enemy.
The Germans are now suffering un-
der the disadvantage of being unable
3: and wounded fall into allied hands
Ythe allied lines. The German state
to stimulate the spirits of the German
{: troops and people.
n