davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
Most Terrible
Campaign in History

But, recognizing the apparent sound
ness of the French appraisal of German
purpose, it is essential to point out at
the outset that it is hardly likely that
the Germans will henceforth occupy all
their time and effort upon the front
which we may now call the Partisan
front; on the contrary, we are almost
certain to see other blows, like that which
was struck in Flanders on April 9, de-
signed to hold Allied forces away from
the main field of action and to achieve
local successes which might contribute
materially to the general weakening of
the Allied armies and the more complete
weakening of Allied morale.
Bearing in mind this necessary quail
flcation, mean in the present article to
discuss the campaign for Paris as it is
now viewed by the various military COM
mentators of the Allied nations and de-
vote some space to consideration of the
geographical and other circumstances OF
what promises to be the greatest and
the most terrible of all the campaigns of
human history, campaign on the out
come of which will turn the immediate
tate OF our civilization and the future Of
the things that we believe in and love.
say immediate because do not be-
heye that even German victory in the
present campaign, a thing in itself al
most inconceivable, would for any long
time put the domination of the world un-
Ger the German sword. But for a time
and for E'.rope this might result from
victory in the new advance upon Paris
80, in sense, the campaign must recall
the rush of other Germanic hordes upon
Rome.
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
A New Battle of
Verdun Faces
Advancing
Hosts
Copyright, 191S-The Tribune
Association

BILE, side show toward Verdun might be
looked for as an effort to draw French
reserves eastward away from the en-
virons of Paris. But unless they were
prepared to surrender their major pur-
pose, namely, to get Paris, or at least to
advance near enough to the French capi-
tai to destroy it, the Germans could not
be expected to spend many more divi-
sions in minor enterprises.
We may say, then, that any persist
ence of the Germans in their drive west
OF the Oise-and it is only in it's first
stages as I write these lines on June IL
will abolish the element of surprise
and put the Allied High Command in
complete possession of the necessary
facts on which to base their answer to
German strategy. This could not be
the case as long as it remained open to
question whether the German objective
was the Channel or the French capital.
The moment when the assailant's true
and full purpose is disclosed is the mo-
ment when the defender really begins
his operations.
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
Blows Elsewhere
Would Be Side Shows

You have, then, in brief, the situation.
The first German attack, that of March,
cleared the British and French out of
the high ground west of the Disc and
most but not quite all of the good posi-
tions covering the western roads that
come down from Belgium to Paris
through Amiens and St. Quentin. The
German attack of May 27 cleared the
eastern roads, which come down from
Belgium, concentrate at Laon and then
continue to Paris through Scissors, bor-
rowing the gap between Rheims and
Scissors. At the close of these two at
tacks the French wings had been thrust
wholly off the second line Of defence of
the French capital and only the French
centre, between Scissors and the Disc
below Noyon, still held on to small but
vital fraction of this defensive position.
And with this attack, begun last Sun
day, the Germans undertook to turn the
French centre out of it's position by ad-
vancing down the main roads to Paris
west Of the Disc and endeavoring to
force the crossings of the Disc in the
rear Of the French centre. Meantime
the German forces which had made the
drive across the Aisne from Laon con-
tented themselves with holding their
gains and organizing their strength for
a new thrust, when their comrades west
of the Disc had temporarily shot their
bolt.
But with the attack of last Sunday
the whole German conception began to
be revealed in unmistakable clarity.
Other blows TO the nosth were. concaivs-
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
Advantages All With
The French

Originally the French High Command
expected an attack where the blow of
May 27 fell, namely, between Rheims
and scissors, and against this it was
prepared. When the blow fell west of
St. Quentin it had to transfer it's re-
serves from Champagne to Picardy.
Then the German struck in Champagne.
But he cannot continue to mystify his
opponent, and the moment his plan is
disclosed Foch can keep pace with each
German concentration. He can calcu-
late within narrow range exactly
where the next blow is to fall and have
his reserves ready.
AS the situation stood last Sunday.
the French possessed all the best of the
communications. Paris is surrou ed
by series of circular railroads built
with the defence of the city in view, and
these lines remained substantially in
tact, while the Germans were divided bv,
the French centre and the flank between
Chateau Thierry and Scissors was prac-
tically without road or railway commu-
nications. On the other hand it was
obvious then, when the German attack
was beginning, that no material advance
could prove anything but serious, and
the arrival of the German right flank at
the Disc between Creil and Compiegne
would produce situation of utmost
gravity.
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
Purpose of Enemy
Now Clear and
Allies Can
Reply
RvFRANK III. SIMONDS
Author of "The World War;" ''They
Shall Not Pass

Last Sunday the Germans opened on
Tho front west of the Disc and between
that river and Montdidier, their third
oneration directed toward Paris of the
nresent campaign. The first was in
eluded in their greatest attack, that Of
March 21; their second led to the passage
If the Aisne and the arrival at the
Marne following the assault of May q.
Two weeks separate the last two, while
the March stroke was followed after a
little longer delay by their attack In
Flanders.
It is the view of French military
writer's now accepted in the Allied
world generally, that the ultimate OBJ
;ective of the German offensive for 1918
is Paris. Some time before the end Of
the present campaign it is assumed to be
the expectation and the plan of the Ger
man High Command to reach the walls Of
the French capital, and, as final threat
70 enforce their peace terms give the
French the choice between the destruction
of their capital and a surrender on such
conditions as Germany may then choose
10 offer.
Such an objective presupposes the de-
cisive defeat of the French military es-
tablishment between Paris and the pres
ent front, the permanent immobilization
of the British on their line between the
Somme and the sea, and the failure Of
the Americans to arrive in numbers and
in condition to change the situation by
restoring to the Allies that superiority in
numbers possessed by them up to the
moment the collapse of Russia gave Ger
many free hand in the West.
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
German Purpose
Clarified

AS it stood at the close of this first
offensive, the Germans were in possession
of the four or five main highways lead
ing south to Paris from Belgium, west
Of the Disc, and only relatively insignifi-
cant foothills of the central highland
lay between them and the plains of lie
de-France. In the centre they had, by
their advance west of the Disc, COM
PEELED the French to fall back from the
southern edge of the St. Gobain Plateau
to new position much nearer the Aisne.
If it were the intention of the Ger
mans to open the way to Paris west of
the Disc they had taken long step for
ward. But east of the Disc, between
Scissors and Rheims, the French still
held admirable positions, while between
Soissons and the Disc they continued to
hold the high ground, which precluded
the German thrust through the centre.
At this stage in the campaign the Ger
mans shifted their attack to the north,
and the Allies were left in the dark as
to whether Paris or Calais was the true
German objective.
The attack of May 27 went long
way toward clarifying the situation.
This time the Germans struck between
Scissors and Rheims-that is, along the
railways and roads which descend from
the north to Paris, east of the high
ground between the Disc and the Aisne.
In one terrific blow the Germans thrust
the French and British off the Chemin
des Danes, across the Aisne and the
Vesle and pushed south to the Marne.
But the Marne was not their objective;
their real purpose was to open the north
eastern roads to Paris, as they had
opened the northwestern in March. Ao-
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
Last Attack Came
Where Expected

Last Attack Came
Where Expected
The Germans were thus, after June A,
in possession Of the roads leading to
Paris, both east and west of the Oise
West Of the Oise they held the line Mont
didier-Noyon, east of the river they held
the front Soissons- Chateau Thierry, but
the two wings were still separated by
the French centre, which retained pos
session of the high ground in the angle
between the Disc and the Aisne. Not
until the Germans west of the river had
pushed south to the crossings of the Disc
and occupied Compiegne could the whole
front be joined and become active
For the moment no advanceowas pos
sible on the Soissons- Chateau Thierry
front, because the French had brought up
reserves and possessed admirable interior
communications, while the Germans had
moved into country whose communica-
tions had been destroyed and had outrun
their reserves and supplies. Thus, while
it was possible that the German might
first indulge in some side show, compar-
able with his Flanders venture after his
March push in Picardy, it was reasona-
bly, plain that when he resumed his drive
for Paris he would attack upon the west
bank of the Disc and on the front be-
tween Montdidier and Noyon, and this
is exactly what he did last Sunday. By
this time he had had two months to re-
pair his communications west of the
Disc and collect the munitions and sup
plies for new attack.
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
Opening the Road
To Paris

Such was the situation at the begin
ming of the present campaign. Three
years in which they had possessed the
offensive had not been enough to enable
the French and British to clear the Sec
ond line of defcnces. But they did hold
substantial portion of this line: they
did hold enough Of the high ground be-
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
Battling Toward
Compiegne

Now, roughly speaking, the situation
as it existed when the German attacked
last Sunday was this. His immediate
objective was the high ground just in
front of him, south of Noyon and Las
signy, the last considerable elevation be-
tween himself and Paris. But his ulti-
mate objective was the bank of the Oise,
where the northern roads cross that
stream north and south of Compiagne.
If he oou.d force a crossing of the Disc
between Compiegne and Creil then the
French centre would have to retire not
merely out of all the high ground be-
tween the Disc and the Aisne, but out
of the wooded ground about Compiegne,
south of the Aisnc, which extends along
the north bank Of the Nonette about
Senlis and offers the last but one of the
natural obstacles to an invader approach
El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-10-12
Great Britain Breaks Awoy From Old Policy
Of Secrecy Ard FOLLOWS American Methods

7 ONDON, Eng, Oct. 1.-THE first
l. thing resulting from Americas
aviation program was extensive
pressagent work. Serene and some
what bombastic statements were
made about mammoth fleets Of air
planes which soon would be hiding
the sun from all Germany and now
towns were TO be bombed off the
map.
The British air force. which Is in
conjunction with the French, has es-
tablished a marked superiority over
German airmen, after four years bril-
liant service, has just gotten its press
be cited 10 show the difference in
British and American methods. While
the general British attitude is to do
a thing and then not talk about It at
all. or II anything is said let II be
something irrelevant. and let il 20 at
that, British officialdom is gradually
seeing the advantage Of proper pub
LEFTY.
a few days ago a news editor Of an
afternoon London newspaper at
tempted TO get details Of how a Brit
ish aviator brought down seven hos
tile machines before lunch. He
thought II a pretty good story. But
details were refused by the air min
istry. What the ministry was after
was results not publicity But il has
decided to give out certain material
hereafter.
About a year ago the ministry Of
Information was established to put
El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-10-12

7 ONDON. Eng. Oct 1.-THE German
l. method OF storm attack, as ex-
planned by q military authority. oper-
ates like a giant steel hand. the five
fingers being the points Of greatest
thrust Following a brief lombard
ment. severe enough TO break up the
barbed wire before allied trenches,
storm troops rush forward in waves
upon points which, roughly, would
be indicated by the fingers Of an out
stretched hand.
These stormers make gateways in
the enemy line for the shock troops
to pour through. The shock troops.
once through the gates" veer to
the right and left, joining up their
line and taking prisoners between
the fingers"
Then the immense hand" is ready
TO move forward again and repeat It's
performance again ana again
Allies Have Defence.
The allies have found three ways
to counter the Hun hand. One, and a
very able device. is the smoke bar
rage. which not only hides the move
meuts Of the allied forces, but also
Confuses the enemy. Another method
is TO meet the drive with numerous
tanks The third plan Of counter
ing the attack IS by a heavy artil-
lery barraEe. which viii disorganiZe
the shock troops before they start
their assault. OF defect them so that
they run up against sections Of the
allied line which have not been
El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-10-12

4 HaAA=Aa1a A--=AH ---~a
l chained EN- to the trees with their
machine guns beside them or course.
they fought"
That's the way a wounded dough
boy from Oklahoma described the
German resistance through the Fere
woods and beyond. a resistance which
the communique has described as
lively" or stiff"
Il know what it was because I
killed some OF them and 7 captured
some more the doughboy went on
He was lying on his side on a
stretcher in the great reception hall
Of the American hospital al Neuilly.
just outside Paris He had a piece OF
shrapnel in his back. right up be-
tween the shoulders The doctors said
the pain must have been excessive
But with a ciEaret in his mouth he
talked as cheerfully as II he had been
sitting on the cracker barrel OF the
town OF --. Okla. whence he came
some Of them are brave and some
are not" he remarked. unconsciously
reiterating the phrase OF Kipling's
Fuzzy WuZzy-"
some OF them. when you point your
gun at EN- or go for EN- with
bayonet throw up their arms and yell
'kapout or Kamerad.' and you have
TO take 'em prisoners.
But say. some OF 'em are brave
Some OF 'em. when it's all up with
their machine sun nests just stand
El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-10-12

Great Britain's cause before the
world. particularly in neutral coun-
tries where German Propaganda had
gotten such a hold and eNerted so
much influence Its first activities
consisted chiefly I'm printing and dis
tributing tracts and pamphlets broad
cast.
DIscIOses The Truth.
But under the administration OF
lord BeaverbroOk. a Canadian. who
Is minister Of information. the de-
partment has expanded in many di-
rections. overcoming the prejudices
and historical training and habit in
many government offices. One Of his
chief accomplishments, so far as al
lied nations are concerned. has been
TO make available considerable infOr-
nation In various quarters, allowing
the correspondents to write it in their
own way. Lord Beaverbrook is a
truth be known and it shall conquer.
There is no attempt 10 color news,
so that il viii reflect only British
opinion
So. during the past year. the peo-
pie Of England, as well as those IN
neutral and allied countries, are be
ginning to know something of why
England is In the war and how she IS
fighting The people OF England are
beginning 20 know more about their
own government. policies and activi-
ties
Drop Kitchener Plan.
This is great change since tho
time OF Kitchener. During kitchener's
management OF the WARRIOR there is
none who disputes that he certainly
El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-10-12
HINDU5
TERRIFY Turks
Ghurkas and Sikhs Are
Quick and Quiet In At
tack; Very Deadly.

With the British Forces in Pales-
tine. Oct. 12.-CCorrespondence Of the
Associated Press -Silent death in the
blaclness Of night. the fate Of IN
numbered Turkish sentries surprised
at their posts by patrols Of Indian
troops with the British army. has i'm
posed upon the Ottoman soldiers a
wholesome respect for these dark
skinned fighters who have replaced
many white contingents sent TO other
fronts.
The cleverness Of the Gurkhas at
stalking has had a terrifying effect
upon the minds OF the Turks. who
are constantly finding their men dead
at advanced stations. with nothing 10
betrsy the coming and going Of the
foe. The result has been a case Of
nerves" among the enemy.
Gurkhas and Sikhs, eager for active
fighting. are continually suggesting
raids and sectional attacks
Keen In Action.
In action. the Indian troops are as
keen as in anticipation OF it Their
approach. even after the warning Of
a barrage, inevitably IS 50 swift as 90
take the Turks completely off their
guard Recently. in broad daylight.
Gurkhas reached unobserved a point
within close range Of the enemy
trench They rushed it and. without
firing a shot. killed IS Turks and
brought back as many prisoners Only
one OF the attackers was wounded.
A Decapitated Turk.
a subaltern in charge Of a party OF
the Indians had an extraordinary ex-
perience in this raid. He had stuck
his bayonet into a Turk, but was un-
able TO disengage il, owing TO the
narrowness OF the trench Another
Turk nearby began iabbing the butt
end Of a rifle into the officers ribs
Suddenly the EngIishman saw his as
sailant's head leap from his Shout
ders. a Gurkha having dexterousIy
decapitated him with his koOkhri, an
invaluable weapon in close quarters.
El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-10-12

ing for some secretary 10 come our
with a statement. so he invited the
newspapermen into the building and
made the various flunkies. including
the door attendants who had super
ciliously kept the reporters off the
threshold. serve the reporters tea
Lord George has been popular ever
since
As a result OF this opening up OF
clustered officialdom. an operation
only partially complete. since offic-
iald0m generally looks upon a British
journalist as anathema maranatha.
certain conferences have been ar
ranged for them to gee news from
certain departments periodically sep
arate conferences being arranged for
the foreign press. which generally is
accorded more courtesy and consider
alton
Daily Meetings Now.
a staff member Of the war office
discusses military maneuvers with
daily. except Fridays, when IL Is at
office sees them on thursday and
Friday afternoon; the air ministry
has arranged a Friday conference.
and lord Robert Cecil. minister OF
blockade and under secretary for for
eign affairs, sees his journalistic ann
bassadors" most every Friday at
p- m. The ministry Of information
has opened a club for foreign news
papermen just off the Strand. where
most current publications OF France,
England and America are available,
together with maUs and facilities for
conferences
El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-10-12

nARIS. France, Oct 1z--(Corre-
I spondence Of the Associated Prsss)
Americans who join French esca-
drflles can from the moment OF their
arrival take part in bombarding ex-
petitions. thanks to the sound train
ing they have received. say French
aviation authorities The work OF a
single group. that under MAJ. Vuillle-
min. may be taken to illustrate this
statement.
During the bombardment OF a
battlefield. End Lieut. Bonfils, the Cd
servation officer, having been killed.
his pilot. End Lieut.. Haley. an
American. although himself severely
wounded in the arm, succeeded in
bringing the body OF his companion
back into the French lines HALEY
brought down a German plane that
day.
Makes Is BOmbardments-
Second Lieut. Lloyd Scharter, ob-
servation officer. was severely
wounded in q fight. gaining citation
which spoke OF him as an American
observation officer OF the very first
rank. giving fresh proofs Of courage
and admira bic GOODNESS each day In
full battle he carried out IS lombard
ments at low altitude"
Mai Nuillemiu has cited Harold
Wilson Andrews. End lieutenant. OBJ
servation officer as remarkable Tor
dash and skill Always in the breach
since the late German offensive, he
El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-10-12

broken by the German artillery or
stormers-
Tanks Are Effective.
A word about the tanks. The rea-
son the allies have had such success
with their tanks is because they have
developed the land warships TO be
simply well protected mobile machine
gun detachments. They attain their
importance not only because OF their
speed, but also because they are very
light when compared TO models in
use eight months ago, permitting their
employment in great numbers on
ground over which their predecessors
could not travel The German tank is
simply an armored car carrying ar
tillery. so heavy and slow they are
not comparable either for offence or
defence 70 the French and British
tanks.
AS = matter OF fact. the German
use OF shock troops has never justi-
fled the creation Of these bodies of
elite troops for picking out the best
men from the regiments for shock
troops" has tended to demoralize the
weakened remainder so that the al
lies. whose regiments were held al
normal, had an easier time TO dispose
Of their enemy after once checking
the shock troopsl For the past sew
eral months. in fact. the allies have
had little trouble in dealing with
German troops OF any description.
The allied advances since July is
have effectively put an end 10 all
German plans for offensive and have
made the Huns rely entirely on de-
fensive warfare.
El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-10-12
OkLahOmon Declares Huns
Prefer Death To Capture;
He Glges Them Their Desire

and look az you And when you point
the gun at 'em they Just shake their
heads. like they wanted 70 say Go
ahead. kid And. well, you Just shoot
EN- dead. that's all, because you know
they'd rather be killed than taken
no. II don't bother ne = BIT I
shoot EN- know thats the way
they'd rather have It. It's the way I'd
rather have It. II Heinie ever got me
in a tight place it's what I'm going
70 do. No prison for nine. III shake
ny head and let EN- shoot. But when
they do get ne they'll know It. They
know I've been IN this war already
No. 7 lost count when this here shrap-
mel from an airplans busted in the
middle OF ny squad But ] know I've
got a lot say L. I guess thars a
pretty good score
How did lt get me- We'll I done
rightly know. We were mopinE along
at night in the middle OF the fields
over a little road like a farm track
back home Either side were nettle
hedges And. believe ne. getting into
them nettle hedges IN the dark was
worse than the shrapnel This French
nettle stings something fierce Well
we were mopinE along when We hear
this airplane overhead and, OF course.
we all duck for the bushes. But our
squad didn't like uettles-E We stayed
in the road And here's the whole lot
OF us. But ven al Be back again.
never be afraid OF that Every man
IN the squad was wounded-and we've
got a $50 pool on the nan that gets
back 70 duty first"