davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-08-18

The French did not introduce their
tanks until the great offensive Of
April, 1917, along the Aisne. The
story goes that the French, with
characteristic conservatism, awaited
the outcome Of the British expert
ment before sending their own tanks
into battle. But despite the billy
and unfavorable terrain of the Aisne
battlefield the French tanks at once
proved their worth.
In general principle the French
tank follows its British counterpart.
However, instead of bringing the
caterpillar belts over the top of the
body the French bring theirs low
down SO as to prevent a minimum
mark to enemy projectiles. This de-
sign, it would seem, does not give
as good climbing qualities as the
British, although from a military
point of view it is better because it
is less vulnerable to damage.
German Tank Far
Behind the Allies
Then there is the German tank,
or "Panzerkraftwagen," which made
its debut during the offensives of
this year. In general design the
German tank presents nothing new.
1t appears rather to follow the lines
of the French tank, with low cater
pillar belt covered over by the front
and sides-an improvement over AL
lied tanks.
Due to the scarcity of steel-hard-
ening materials the Germans have
been forced to employ poor quality
steel for their armor, and thickness
and heavy plates have had to make
up for poor embarrassing qualities
Thus the German tank isaextremely
heavy and cumbersome. 1t weighs
AS tons, which is considerably in ex-
cess OF the Allied tanks. The arma-
ment comprises one 47-mm. u.85
in.) cannon for direct fire ahead and
six machine guns mounted in pairs
on each side and astern. The crew
consists of one officer and 10 men
who pack the interior; in fact, when
the tank is in motion over rough
terrain the men manage to stand ur
by means of straps, which seems
quite to home for the New Yorker
used to travelling in the subway dur
ing the rush hour! There are also
folding seats. But as whole the
German tank is poor piece of en-
cheering; and it's record on the
battlefield does not contradict thai
statement.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-08-18
"Our tanks destroyed the enemy's
wire entanglements," also said the
reports. This shows one of them
doing it.
British Official Photo)

tanks. The reason for this is that
the Allies are away ahead of the
Germans in the development and use
of tanks and that the new ideas that
are constantly being introduced into
them are a large part of their effec-
tiveness.
The German lives in daily dread
of a new tank surprise, and it is
important to satisfy this dread. The
Germans have testified that if the
British had had 3 thousand tanks
on hand when they first sprung them
the war would have ended then and
there in a chaotic German defeat.
So now the Germans are kept in the
dark both as to the numbers and
varieties of the tanks that the Allies
are bringing up against them.
Nothing Of a definite nature is,
therefore, officially permitted to get
out, and it would be most unwise and
unpatriotic to publish what is known,
outside of what becomes public
property through the revelations of
the battlefields. Even the recent
phenomenal success of the French
and British tanks, which in respect
to the performance of the former
brought out special acknowledgment
from General Petain and Premier
Clemenceau Of the pivotal character
of their achievements, has not ex-
hausted Allied power and inventive
ness.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-08-18
Ordnance Department
In Charge of Work

The production of the tanks is a
function of the Ordnance Depart
ment, in which a special division is
charged with the task. The service
corps in the United States is directed
by Colonel /. c. Welborn, who is a
medal of honor man of the REGULAR
Army, with service in the Spanish
American War, in the Philippines
and in the Boxer expedition. He is
reputed to be man of great force
and executive ability. His assistant
is Captain Phil d. Poston. Briga-
der General S. D. Rockenbach is
commander of the tank service in
France. 1t has been officially adj
mitted that there is one battalion of
the American tank service at the
front, but whether these machines
are American or foreign made is
not known.
Thus far two tank camps have
been established. The camp at Get
tysburg, Penn, is concentration
and preliminary training camp and is
in charge Of Major d. D. Eisen-
hover. The advanced training camp
is at Tobyhanna, Penn. Colonel w. H
Clopton is in command there. He
has recently rcturped from France
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-08-18
Talk of Vast Numbers
OF Smaller Tanks

1t is impossible to say anything
about on how large a scale the
United States is building tanks and
training the personnel to go with
them. Some of the enthusiasts rec
ommend the enlargement of the tank
service to the dimensions of the Sig
nal Corps, which, when it still in
Guided the army air service, num-
bered more than 1925, 900 men. They
also insist on the immediate build
ing of not less than 100000 of the
small tanks for two men and pos
sibly one-man tanks.
No announcement has ever been
made of what is actually being done
in respect to the number of tanks
being built or planned or the num-
bers of the men that are to use
them. But there is no doubt that
the High Command is fully aware
OF the immense potentialities of
tanks and firmly committed to their
use on large scale. 1t is held that
the utilization of tanks in immense
numbers at an early date is much
more feasible than that of a large
number of airplanes, because their
manufacture is not so novel a thing
to American automobile and truck
manufacturers,
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-08-18
How a New
w e apon Has
Helped Make 1t
Possible to Turn
Back the Ger
man Tide
By Theodore M. Knappen.

Washington, august II.
THANKS are now the thing in
military circles.
Il Awhile ago it was air
planes that were going to
win the war so far as it is to be
won in actual conflict, but now it is
tanks.
Men from every other arm Of the
military service are turning now to
the tanks. Majors, captains and
]ieutenants are giving up their COM
missions in other services in. order
to enlist as privates in the "tanks. :"
Word has come back through the
army channels Of what one officer
says and writes to another, that
tanks will win this war as artillery
won Napoleon's wars and as the
British long-bows won in the Hun
dred Years. War.
The word runs that neither gas,
airplanes nor massed artillery will
be counted the epochal innovation Of
this war; but that the honor will
he reserved for tanks. Even the
naughty airmen are beginning to
think that the tortoiselike machine
that keeps close to Mother Earth is
the coming conquering instrument of
warfare.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-08-18
(TEE TANK ROAD TO VICTORY OPENE
America Hide.
Her Gigantic
Plans for New
Steel Cavalry
ToBe Ready for
Big Offensive

vancing infantry. But even thai.
man. can at once appreciate H..
much more efficient is the tank r;s 1
its added possibilities of attac,;s
enemy German gunners, no matt
where they may be, while immns
against machine gun and rifle fra
Lighter Tanks,
The New Cavalry
The lighter tanks with their grA..
speed can be used as special cav.,,r
Retreating Germans can be chas.a
caught up with, machine gunned and
crushed, and thrown into comnle,.
confusion. The "whippets" and II.
babies" and the "mosquitoeso csn
worm their way far into enemy "a,
ritory, when the German line is oncs
preached, and interfere with trans,
ports and retreating troops in wsvs
too numerous to describe. They can
accompany cavalry just as they d.
infantry, taking care of troublesome
machine guns whenever the regular
cavalry is held up.
SO all in all the tank has gre,.
possibilities in the battles to come
Certain it is that the Germans, who
have never failed to capitalize those
methods used against them, are %.
ing to develop tank fleets of their
own. But they are so far behind
the Allies in numbers and experience
that they will have 4 hard time
catching up. In fact, aside from their
"panzerkraftwagen" being poorly de.
signed, their main difficulty appears
to be the lack of good material for
crews.
And allowing that the Germans
develop good tanks, in sufficient
numbers and manned by skilled
crews-and that is admitting some.
thing that does not seem humanly
possible at this late stage of the
game-they will have to face the
Allied tanks in battle and the Allied
anti-tank defences. Already our al
lies and ourselves have perfected
mines for dealing with tanks; we
have mines that can be placed in
the probable path of tank and that
explode as the tank passes, raising
the huge steel hulk a few feet in the
air and letting it fall with crash.
or turning it on its side.
The most important anti-tank de-.
fence, however, is the 37-mm. az
in.) cannon originally introduced BY
the French for destroying machine
gun nests. This little piece is a
counterpart of the famous French
75-mm. or three-inch field gun, al
though it is not mounted on wheels,
being intended for the use of Skin.
mishers and therefore setting close to
the ground on it's tripod support. Its
diminutive she'll of the armor-pierc.
ing, high explosive variety can be
depended upon to penetrate any tank
the Germans may employ, causing
death and destruction within Be-
cause Of its portability and small
size it can be brought into the from
line trenches, or even out in thu
open, with the same facility as tn
ordinary machine gun. And with
trained crew of four men, two act
ing as observers and two mannin,
the gun, it can fire TWENTY-FIVE aimee
shots a minute, any one of whicl
can inf1ict serious damage on HUI
tank long before it gets within dan
gerous range.
Both the British and the Amer
cans have adopted the 37-mm. can
i. non, which has come to be know
as the tank wrecker" although orig
inally intended for service agalns
: machine guns.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-08-18
Tanks, Chief Weapon Against
Barbed Wire and Machine Guns
By Austin c. Lescarboura

associate Editor of "The Scientific American
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-08-18

N1E answer TO German barDet the engines and crew
I wire ana machne guns is the of the Lewis type, in
Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1918-12-21
SHELLS ILLUMINATE SKIES.

The fighting efficiency of the
American navy at night will be In
creased about 25 per cent. by the
perfection of a star-shell operating
at long range under all conditions
at sea. The new shell, which is
said to excel any produced by other
nations, and the history of its de-
yelopment Is described in a state
ment by the Navy Department. The
shell is said to be suitable for fir
ing from guns of from three to
FIVE inch caliber, and Is fitted with
a parachute attachment. 1t is filled
with Illuminating material guaran-
teed to burn in spite of the terrific
rush of air It meets when freed.
The value of the shell lies, said the
Navy Departments statement. in
Illuminating the naval units of the
enemy without disclosing the posi-
ton of the craft using the she'll.
Experimental work to develop such
a shell was started by the Bureau
of Ordnance of the Navy Depart
nent. The war experience of the
Allies, both on land and. sea. and
Of the American navy was utilized
In perfecting 1t.
Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1918-12-21

American and allied troops at the
highest possible pitch. Because Of
the important work the order is
doing along this line in American
training camps and cantonments
and with the American army in
Europe, the knights OF Columbus
have been strongly Endorsed by
Marshal Foch, the French military
genius; Gen. Pershing, President
Wilson, Secretary of War Baker and
Secretary of the Navy Daniels.
Knights of Columbus club houses,
huts and tents everywhere are wide
open to men of all races, creeds and
color. The orders war workers ac-
cept no money for the supplies they
distribute In hospitals, in the field
or anywhere else. When Marshal
Foch called the allied armies from
the trenches and started the big
drive toward Berlin the Knights
Immediately organized to Follow
the Flag" and fitted up big motor
trucks so placed in operation to
keep pace with the rapidly advanc-
ing armies and to provide our
soldiers with real Service Under
Fire" Supplies sent from America
were carried to several points of
distribution near the front lines and
were carried directly to the men
who were doing the actual fighting.
Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1918-12-21
ST. NICHOLAS IN CAMP.

Twas the night before Christmas
and all through the camp
Not a sound could be heard but the
sentry's tramp, tramp.
The boys were all sleeping quite
snug In their hunks
With occasional snoring In good
solid chunks.
Some were a-dreaming of homes
far away
And mothers preparing for the
worlds holiday;
Others of sweethearts and what
they might send
To brighten the day and happiness
lend
When all of a sudden there rose
such a clatter,
All sprang up to see what the
world was the matter;
They rushed toward the trenches
expecting the Boches,
Aching to give them some rather
rough punches
When what to their wondering eyes
should appear
But a convoy deep loaded with
Christmastide cheer
Parcels and boxes and everything
gopd-
While high on the pile old st.
Nicholas stood,
Allowing and smiling and ck'ning
to all
And easily looking as though he
might fall.
His face was familiar to all within
sight,
He was given no challenge, so
great was delight.
With q wink of his eye and twist
Of his head
He gave all to know they had
nothing to dread,
For pausing a moment, he went
straight to work
And selecting a package he gave
A it a jerk
And sent it a-flying while calling
a name
As the boy It was sent to was an
sw'ring the same;
Then to one and another a parcel
he gave,
Till each hut was still as newly
made grave
AS the boys, filled with joy at the
gifts they received,
Rugged and kissed them. as though
they believed
Those gifts were most human.
And Santa looked on
Tight gripping his wheel and loot
Ing his horn,
Still bowling and smiling; then
turned to the right
And said merry Christmas" and
"to all a good night"
Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1918-12-21
NEXT EUoHAR1sT1o CONGRESS-.

1t is pleasant to hear of
Eucharistic Congress in these trou-
blesome times. The last interna-
tional congress was held at Lourdes
in 1914, just before the wars out
break. The little island of Malta
in the Mediterranean has been
chosen for the scene of next years
gathering In honor of our Lord in
the Blessed Sacrament. Malta has
been an English possession since
1914 and the Catholic faith is there
officially recognized as the only
State religion. 1t has a romantic
history. There are really three
islands In the group---Malta, Coco
and Comine. For many centuries
they were under Greek, Saracen and
Norman rule. In 1880 the knights
of st. John received Malta from
Charles v. as a grant to their or
der. Toward the end of the eigh-
teenth century Napoleon's advent
led to the dispersal of the order In
its old-time form. The islands are
famous in ecclesiastical history as
the landing place of st. Paul when
he journeyed as a captive from
Caeserea to Rome. The vessel in
which he embarked. after drifting
fourteen days, was wrecked on the
coast of this island. The Apostle of
the Gentiles spent three months
there and he finally reached Rome
for his trial and acquittal. The
memory of this stay has always
been proud page In the varied
history Of the storied islands OF the
great inland sea.
Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1918-12-21
CATHOLIC oFFTcERs.

While Admiral Benson will be
the highest ranking United States
naval officer at the peace conference,
Gen. Francis T. Herman, a prominent
Catholic army officer, has been sent
abroad as an assistant to Gen.
Tasker Bliss, formerly Chief OF STAFF,
who represents the United States
army at the historic gathering. Gen.
March, in selecting Gen. Herman for
this duty, characterizes him as "a
man of great ability, and experienced
in military and international law.
Gen. Herman, who comes of old
Irish-American Catholic stock, is
the man who put the machine guns
In the army. When a member of
the General Staff Gen. Herman
worked out the details OF the scheme
for equipping each unit of the fight
ing force with a machine gun pla-
toon. Previous to that time no
plans had been made distributing
the guns.
Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1918-12-21
vATIcAN's WHITE BOOK.

The Vatican correspondent OF the
Naples Mattino gives details of the
preparation of a White Book which
Is to be issued. The first of the
series will concern the death Of
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose
assassination at Sarajevo, June %,
1914, formed the pretext for the
war. These documents will be of
capital Importance, because they
have to do with the preparation OF
the war and the desperate efforts of
Pope Plus x. to prevent it. The
second viii include the period from
October, 1914, to March, 1917,
from the election of Pope Benedict
to the preparation OF his famous
peace note, and will also concern
the Pontifical efforts in behalf of
prisoners of war. The third will
run from March. 1917, to Decem-
Der, 1917, and will deal specifically
with the peace note and its conse-
quences. 1t will include letters of
the chiefs of State and other docu-
ments and will throw light on
ltaly's actions and prove the bad
faith of her enemies. The fourth
of the series will be of par
ticularly religious character. The
White Book will be issued, 1t Is
said by some, as soon as the Peace
Conference begins. Others assert It
will be delayed until peace has been
signed and that II will contain a
fifth part. dealing with the con-
ference.
Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1918-12-21
CATHOLICS OF RUSSIA.

It is pleasing to learn that such
meagre details as come through in
the news from Russia that the
turmoil in the Ukraine following
the German occupation has not
checked the work of restoring
Catholicism in that country. A
year has elapsed since the re-
Mobilization of the Catholic HER
archy, made possible by the over
throw of the Gear and with him the
State church. Conversions since
then have proceeded rapidly. The
Vicar General of Kieff has recently
reported the outlook as most
favorable. A chapel and later a
barrack set up In Kieff, exclusively
to receive converts, was found to
be quite inadequate, so a new
church is under construction for
the United States. Fourteen priests
were at work in that city alone and
there are services In two Latin
churches and in the barracks. The
demand for instruction Is taxing the
catechists engaged to the utmost.
Less is known about the religious
conditions in the territory ruled by
the Bolsheviki except that all de-
nominations are suffering. Church
property has been confiscated ev-
erywhere. priests have been muir
dered, In short the scenes of the
French Revolution have been re-
enacted In the country north OF the
Ukraine border and west Of the
Urais. This persecution bears hard
est Of course on the. schssmatics OF
Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1918-12-21
WILL BE BLUE.

New War Savings stamps, to be
issued after January 1. will be
blue instead of green and will bear
a portrait of Benjamin Franklin,
Secretary McAdoo announced last
week. The same Thrift stamps and
Thrift cards will continue to be
used and exchanged for S. War
Savings stamps by the method now
in use. The 1919 series will ma
ture January I. 1894.
Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1918-12-21

the Orthodox church. Apparently
it does not touch very seriously the
100000 Catholics of Poland. But
1t is surprising to learn from the
London Universe that in Russia
proper-that is Russia apart from
the Ukraine-there are 10000
Catholics outside the Polish do
ceses. These people, it is to be
feared, are feeling the weight of
Bolsheviki tyranny. They are, by
the way, Catholics who use the
Latin and not the Greek or innate
rite.
Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1918-12-21
puRposE OF KNIGHTS.

The Knights of Columbus. who
will share in the funds collected for
the War Work Drive, is one of the
big war working organizations
actively engaged with the American
overseas forces. It is in the field
with the express purpose OF aiding
In maintaining the morale Of the
Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1918-12-21
MUST HEAR MASS.

Wednesday, December 25, the
feast Of the Nativity of Our Lord
Jesus Christ, is holy day OF obli-
cation. All who have reached the
age of reason are obliged tunder the
pain of mortal sin to hear mass
on that day.
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-01-26
Standing Wood For Sale

:, Six acres of woodland about 4 miles from
bnrre City; all down grade wood Of excellent
quality price, 100000. Inquire of the D. A.
Perry Real Estate Agency. 2sstf
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-01-26
BRITISH government
Helps PAY FOR BREAD

There has been much misunder-
standing about the bread program In
England. IL is true that the English
man buys a loaf Of bread for less than
an American can, but 1t is poorer
bread, and the British government is
paying S200,000,000 year toward the
cost of ii.
All the grain grown In Great Brit
ain Is taken over by the government
at an arbitrary price and the imported
wheat purchased on the markets at
the prevailing market price. This is
turned over to the mills by the govern
ment at a price that allows the adul-
teratod war bread loaf Of four pounds
to sell at IS cents. the two pound loaf
at 9 cents and the one pound loaf at s
cents
In France, under conditions some
what similar, but with larger ex-
traction, the four pound loaf sells for
l6 cents.
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-01-26
Federal Certificate for History to St
Louis Bow.

Completion of difficult federal course
IN history reading in less than five
months is the achievement of Albert
George Trester of st. Louis, Mo-, Is years
old. Trester has been granted the first
certificate to be awarded in the Amer.
lcan history course of the United States
bureau of education, department of the
interior, Washington, d. G.
The history course completed by Tres
ter is one Of eight reading courses re-
Gently instituted by the commissioner of
education with view to encouraging
the reading of good books by older bows
and girls and by men and women who
are more or less out of reach of other
educational opportunities but desire TO
cultivate the reading habit in syste
matte way. II is unnecessary for read
ers in these courses to pass series of
written tests before certificate is
granted by the government.
The history course has been especially
popular because of the war. The books
in this course were selected by commit.
tee of educators consisting of Prof, vii.
liam Starr Myer, Princeton university.
Prof. w. II. Mace, Syracuse UNIVERSITY.
DIR. Franklin L. Riley, Washington and
80 anu III. w iiDuT II. trOT-
dy, Hartford, Conn. The books are as
follows:
Oh Cheyney's European Background
of American History;
~ Thwaites' "The Colonies:
ca Parkmans 'Montcalm and Wolfe;
a. Fiskc's 'old Virginia and Her
Neighbors";
co. Fishes Beginnings of New Eng
land;
t6l Fishers Men, Women and Man
ners in Colonial Times;
ca Fishes Dutch and Quaker Colo
mics in America;
tsl Fishes The American Revolu-
ton;
90 Lecky's american Revolution:
tl0l Lodges STORY of the Reyolu-
ton;
M Fishes Critical Period of Amer
lean History;
tl2l Schurz' Henry Clay;
% Wilson's life of George Washing
ton;
ia Turner'S Rise of the New West:
tl5lRoosevelt's Winning of the |
West:
tl6l Rogart's Economic History of
the United States;
tl7l Wilson's Division and Reunion: ]
It's Browns The Lower South in 1
American History;
49, Morse's Abraham Lincoln:
200 Dunning's Reconstruction. Politi. /
cal and Economic;
(2ll Dewey's National Problems:
(22l Latane's America as a World
Power; and
l23l Haworth's America in Ferment.
ANY citizen Of the United States i
eligible 20 Join the bureau Of education
residing course in history or any other OF
'he reading courses. List Of books. ap-
piiesiion blanks and directions for read
ing will he furnished free upon applic~
tion IN the Commissioner Of Educztiom.
u &-LlnzI<za- d. G.