The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-06-21

A MOTHER brilliant episode Of
~ Americas increasing participation
was scored Wednesday night
when our troops flung themselves at a
pocket held by the Hun in the northern
skirts OF Bcllcau wood, northwest OF
Chateau Thiery
The enemy was hanging on here by
his cyelashc, where the impctuous rush
Of the marines left them a week ago
The enemy position was a narrow sharp
angle which was completely dominated
by our better positions. The enemy
did not attempt to hold the ground
which had a depth Of little more than
half a mile and base width of a
similar distance. He got out before
the infantry got to him
The Belcau wood is an important
defensive point, possession OF which in
its entirety adds security to this west.
crn side Of the tip OF the Mane wedge
! think the easy local succesS here i,
most important as indicating that tn,
Hun has no immediate intention oI
pressing his efforts down the territory
between the Marne and the OurcQ.
General Maurice, the former British
director OF operations, who is now writ
ing for the syndicate in which The Okla
homan and Times participate, paid IN,
United States a high compliment in his
review this morning when he said Paris
might already have been lost if the
active participation of the United State,
had been delayed even a month With
great frankness this high military au-
thority conceded that the hopes of the
allies for the future are dependent
largely upon the United States
The press of the United States has
been deluged with reports of growing
strife, discussion, hunger, riot and rcvo-
luton, particularly in Austria Hungary
since the Austrian offensive began last
Saturday against Italy.
Always on our guard against expect
ting too much from the economic
poverty of Austria Hungary we should
not err on the side of over conservatism
and assume that there is nothing at all
behind all Of this smoke. II has been
quite definitely established that this
was a hunger offensive The genera
orders issued to the storm troops. al
least in some instances recalled the fat
larders captured in the Venetian plain
last fall urging the sodiery to its best
to get the grub that is wanting at home
An examination Of the bread which the
Austrians carried as their mcager ra,
ton into the advance. is sufficient
proof the utter weakness and cx-
haustion of Austria Rome SAYS thi,
bread was made Of rye straw and po-
tatoeS, the ration was not enough tc
fatten a mouse and the sustaining
qualities Of the punk about as near
nothing as anything can ne and still
retain the Scmblancc oi bread The
condition Of the ragged prisoners calls
attention to another phase Of the ccono.
mic disaster through which the nation
is living. The soldiers food and the
soldiers clothing, always is the best the
nation can get its hands on. Small
wonder then, that there are riots in
Vienna at the cutting down of the bread
walton to less than a pound and a half
a week You Americans who are wine
ing because a patriotic effort is being
made to put US on a no-wheat diet for
few weeks should take one of he
pound loaves of bran bread, which is
angels food compared to that which
the Austrians have. cut it into eight
equal slices and get an idea of the daily
bread of these impoverished people
Food conditions will get no better
over there, but rather worse, until the
last Of July and the first of August 1t
is important that any advantage the