The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-06-05
YANKEES
STOPPING
THE HUNS
AMERICANS HURL
GERMANS FROM
BANK OF MARINE
Dramatic Arrival on Scene Like
Gallieni's "Taxicab Army"
Rode All Night in Trucks to Aid
Hard-Pressed POilus.
YANKEES BLOW UP BRIDGE
Destroy German Structure Over
Marne Under Fire.
U. s. Troops Recapture Village
and Advance a Mile.
Dramatic Arrival on Scene Like
Gallieni's "Taxicab Army"
Rode All Night in Trucks to Aid
Hard-Pressed POiIus.
YANKEES BLOW UP BRIDGE
Destroy German Structure Over
Marne Under Fire.
Z. s. Troops Recapture Village
and Advance a Mile.

Paris. juno 5.-Amcrican troops
are still pouring into the Marine bat
tie front. according to French news
paper correspondents.
"The Americans are entering the
battle" wrote Marcel Hutin, in the
Echo de Paris today.
VI. Pcrtinax. writing in the Echo
de Paris prophesied the use of fresh
German reserves and said:
sour reply is that the Atlantic Is
bringing us hundreds of thousands Of
American soldiers"
With the Americans on the Marine,
June 5.-Americans fighting the Ger
mans on the Marne furnished the
most dramatic moment of the war
since General Gallieni's "taxica b
army saved Paris. Rushed from a
distant area under French command
to Chateau Thierry, they did work on
the battle line at that point that Is
surpa ssed in history only by the eX-
plot of Gallieni's troops.
Started in Half Hours Notice.
Americans now confronting the
Germans along the Marine at the
point of the farthest advance toward
Paris and who drove back the enemy
after the river had, been crossed, re-
ceived half an hours notice to start
for the critical spot. Railroad trains
automobile trucks, French camions
and every possible vehicle was pressed
into service and speeded off, loaded
with Americans having the full right
of way over all roads. They arrived
at the battle line at night and were
fighting in the morning.
Soon after the Americans arrival,
the enemy attacked. Our troops,
which included marines, We're in the
reserve. The marines then took up the
fight. 1t was close, open field war
fare. American fighting Drawn was
matched against that of the Germans
in a short, bitter struggle which the
Yankees won. The boche has re-
newed his attacks but the line still
holds.
Yanks Stand at the NIarne.
The French are heaping the highest
praise upon the Americans. They are
proud of their stand at the Marine,
where civilization was saved by turn
ing back the Germans in 1914, and
where the foe must again be thrown
back.
All the country near where the
Americans are located speaks the trag-
edy of the beautiful Marne valley and
of France. American infantry lies
under cover of waving fields of green
grain, torn up by shell fire and amidst
other fields and orchards the Ameri-
can artillery hurls shells at the Huns.
Behind the rear lines the villages are
deserted. Only stray dogs and cats
and the oldest enfeehled men and
women, who were unable to flee with
the younger inhabitants or who re-
fused to leave their homes, are visible
in these places. Roses which bloom in
profusion over houses, almost hiding
them. and blossoming flower gardens
everywhere are unseen except by
dusty, sweaty men, who fighting
against odds, have driven off the in
vader.
Americans Capture Germans.
From the first enemy assault until
that of Monday night, when the re-
pulse was followed by successful
counter-attack, the Americans bore
themselves like veterans. Prisoners
We're captured in Monday nights
fighting which extended back into a
village where fierce hand to hand
struggles between American boys and
helmeted Germans resulted in the
ousting of the Huns. There were three
strong enemy attacks. preceded this,
all of WHICH were repulsed.
Riddled Hun Ranks.
Attempting to cross to the left of the
Marine, the boches Encountered Ameri-
can machine gunners. They lay cody
at their guns while the Germans came
on, then opened up and riddled the
complete confusion.
AT another spot, our machine gun
ners wiped out the boche machine gun
units, sweeping them with an en-
filading fire. The lines swayed back
and forth during the first two days
the Americans were on the job, then
began to settle down, but they still
vary hundred yards or so daily.
Fighting is so open and the lines
are so indefinite that it is necessary
Tor the infantry commanders to signal
their positions to the aviators as thew
maneuver in the open. While Ameri-
can aTiators are doing their share in
the defense of Paris, American OBJ
servers. accompanying French pilots
are attached to the artillery guarding
the threatened road to the capital.
Strange conditions prevail over the
whole front. There is one No Mans
village near Chateau-Thierry where
there has been fighting all around but
the village stands unoccupied and un-
assailed. American patrols entered
the deserted town and the beautiful
chateaus which stand in No Mans
Iand, and there they found evidences
OF nasty flight. Coats and hats were