Evening star., 1918-04-10

By the Associated Press.
LONDON. April 1o-But for the gal
liant defense put up by Gen. Carey's
improvised army. in which American
railway engineers played prominent
part, says the correspondent on the
western front of the Daily Mail, the
enemy might have pushed through to
Amiens in the first few days Of his
great attack. The improvised force
held an important stretch of the front
against furious German onslaughts.
There was no doubt In anybody's
mind that they would hold on grirnly
as long as breath remained in their
bodies" says the correspondent. How
the men were assembled before day
light, made up into companies and bat
talions by noon, and ready to march
shortly afterward is told by the corre-
spondent, who adds:
"It was not until it had been in the
field for some time that the force was
able to get artillery. But as soon as
they had it they certainly used 1t TO
good advantage.
IN the beginning, however. 1t was
the men who held the enemy back with
their bodies"
The sector involved began at the
River Somme near Sally 1y-Laurette, and
extended southwest to about the Luce
river.
Fought With Canadians.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE. Monday. April 8.-The Amer
lean railway engineers who helped
stem the tide of the onrushing Ger
mans during the opening days OF the
der to shoulder with Canadian en-
gineers in carrying out their task.
They held their ground stubborn1y and
retired to previously prepared posi-
tions only when forced to do so, ana IN
dicted casualties by the thousands upon
the Germans as they advanced in close
formation, in one place in as many as
seven waves, each wave ten men deep
and 100 yards apart.
The Americans with the Canadians
had all the ammunition they needed.
and although they were unsupported
by the artillery. and armed only with
rifles and with a few machine guns,
they poured scythelike streams of bull
let's into the enemy at several differ
ent times until the weapons were so
hot as to be useless.
Sickened by Shambles.
This handful of American soldiers
who were not hardened to such ter
shambles it created, but fought furi-
ously for several days, helping to hold
the enemy all the way from st. Quen-
tin to the vicinity of Noyon. These
were the Americans mentioned at the
time in the official communicates. but
these details of their exploits it has
only now been possible to secure.
When the German attack began the
| A VI rlr Inc in a
lines with the Canadians, under Cana
dian command. They quickly threw
down their tools and seized the weapons
with which they had been armed for
into a fighting unit The Germans
came on, and finally reached the posi-
tions where the Americas were wait
ing.
cannot be given, but they were COM
paratively small. They had no inten-
ton of retreating, however, and were
bent upon killing all the Germans pos
sible
Bided Their Time.
AS the first gray enemy ad-
vanced the American forces let them
come until they were within certain
storm of bullets. Gaps appeared in
the advancing lines at many places.
some Of them large, where the machine
guns had chewed through. stin the
q single shot-just advancing.
The Americans were unable to un-
derstand these tactics. but neverthe-
less were certain that it was q ques-
ton Of slaughtering the enemy or
being themselves smothered under this
advance, BY this time their weapons
were SO hot that they could not be used
efYectiyely. and the enemy was close,
SO that the engineers retired, fighting;
took up another position; then turned
and began operations again. A British
officer who witnessed the engagement
is reported to have said:
"Hsld On by Their Teeth" /"
'.They held on by their teeth until the