The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-08-01
FRENCH VALOR WON
THE HIGHEST COMMAND

oi feDruary, 1910.
With this victory achieved but with
severe fighting still going on day and
night along the entire Verdun front
in an effort to get back some of their
lost positions. the French command
prepared and staged still another
equally important and brilliant affair.
Ever since the final conquest of
the greater portion of the Chemin des
Danes by the French in May 1917. a
severe battle had ragged there continu-
ously for the final possession by either
the French or the Germans of the
famous ridge. II was necessary TO put
an end to this by driving the Ger
mans back to point where they could
no longer keep up their day and night
attacks.
The attack was launched Oct. 20,
with Fort Malmaison as one of the
principal objectives. The victory was
one of the most remarkable of the
war. Not only were all of the objec-
tives attained. but these detectives
thanking the Germans and taking
them in the rear forced before the
end of the week the German evacu-
alton of their entire line of positions
on the northern slope of the Chemin
des Danes and their retirement across
the Ailette.
TO AID OF ITALY
With this military effort and these
Victories to her credit NO one would
have denied to France the right to
rest on her laurels for the remainder
of the year. But precisely 1T that mo-
ment. the Austro-German offensive
against Italy met with its unexpected
success and without stopping for a
single instant to consult her own in
terests or her own risks in the case,
France, within twenty-four hours. had
one of her finest armies enroute for
Italy.
the year. the French expeditionary
corps won another glorious victory
in its famous attack on Monte Toma
in which 1000 Alpine chasseurs not
only captured the summit of the noun
tain but inflicted on the Austrians
losses exceeding twice the number OF
French infantrymen engaged Over
1.50o French Chasseurs while over 500
Austrian dead were counted on the
field of battle.
Already as a result of this remark
able military effort. France was be-
ginning. almost unconsciously as IL
were, to receive the acknowledgment
of her military leadership of the al
lies. In the Allied war counsils both
at Rapollo and Versailles that follow
ed the Italian disaster and its re-es
tablishment French generals and mill.
tary leaders were given an ever in
creasing recognition of leadership
GERMANS PLUNGE.
Then after nearly three months OF
waiting came the great German often
siye of March 81 The attack was
made against the British line shor;
distance above its junction with the
French front. A gap was made in the
line and without question the Allies
faced the most critical and the most
crucial moment since the battle of the
Marne. But again the French military
genius on the part of Frances gener
ais and French abnegation and hero
ism on the part OF the French soldiers
enabled France to fill the breach.
But France has done more than fill
the breach. She had won recognition
of leadership and superiority that
could no longer be denied and at last
the supreme command of all the Allied
armies on the western front passed TO
a French general and Freench staff
But this recognition of French mill
tary genius was not confined to the
high command alone. II was extended
to the humble ''poilu" as we'll His
endurance. his patience. his vigor, his
virility, his heroism and above all his
esprit de corps" were things that
must also be recognized for the good
of the Allied cause.
French units therefore passed to
other portions of the front where their
admirable qualities might serve as
inspiration to Americans, Tommies.
Belgians and Portuguese. while units
from all these armies passed likewise
into French sectors of the front
where they might benefit even more
quickly by contact with frances
poilus.
Thus. with the opening OF the fifth