The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-02-01
Secretary Baker Makes An
nounCement Following Raid
on u. S. Trench.
men PRAISED BY PERSHING
Germans Attacked Yankee Position
During Dense Fog-Heavy Bonn
bardment Proceeded Raid in
Which Two u. S. Men
Were Killed

Washington, Feb. 1.-Secretary Of
War Baker officially announced that
American forces have formally taken
over a section of the line in France.
The announcement followed the pub
HcatiOn of a dispatch from the Ameri-
can Evolutionary force in France tell
ing of the latest raid on the American
trenches by German forces, in which
two Americans were killed, four
wounded and one was made prisoner.
Definitely in Action.
: 1.-The fact that this and other raids
have taken place and that reports are
beginning to be received daily of men
killed and wounded in action" said the
secretary, makes it proper to say that
American troops are now definitely in
action"
When the first detachments of Amer
leans went into the front lines it was
made plain that this was for training.
French troops were in reserve at all
times and would relieve the American
troops when the latter were brought
back from their baptism of fire.
Pershing Praises Men.
Representatives Of every class of the
military service, including regulars.
National Guardsmen and draft men,
have gone under fire, and f1attering re-
ports have been received from General
Pershing concerning their conduct in
action.
The training processes are under
stood to have gone forward much
faster than was at first thought possi-
bic.
Details of Raid on U. S. Trench.
With the American Army in France,
Feb. IA dense fog which rolled in
clouds over the American sector all
through the night enabled both Ameri-
can and enemy patrols to work freely.
Owing to the fog, aerial and artil-
lery observation is impossible. Ameri-
can antiaircraft gunners at various
places are standing by their guns as
clearing weather is expected.
An American position was raided
during a heavy fog shortly after day
light Thursday. The attack was pre-
ceded by violent artillery barrage
Two Americans were killed and four
wounded One soldier is missing and
is believed to have been captured by
the enemy.
At daybreak the heavy fog which
had been enveloping the whole position
and the country for miles around for
several days became still thicker, blot
a1 "a
positions. At seven o'clock three muf-
fed reports sounded through the fog.
There were three whistles, followed
quickly by three shell bursts. The pro-
jectiles exploded on three sides of an
American listening post just outside
the wire, within forty-five feet of an
enemy listening post
"Then hell broke loose" said one of
the men there For Is minutes the
enemy broke hundreds of high explo-
sive IT'S around the post and the sur
rounding ground, cutting off the men
there
Lick EN- With His Fists.
Four days ago youth who has
sandy hair and comes from a farm
near Bismarck, N. D., said:
81 am afraid of no German alive
now. I feel that / can lick any of that
crowd with my fists, and German
with gun is no worse than one with
out one if l have got gun myself
'Tve only been in France a few
weeks. / came with a division of for-i
mer National Guardsmen. / was put
in that organization after being
drafted"