Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-11-21

egular American passenger 5

- OAes
scribed course going and returning; II
the steamers were painted in speci-
fed way and carried specified flags;
If one steamer week each way were
sailed, and IL the United States govern
ment guaranteed that no contraband
was carried.
The immediate answer of the United
States was given February 3-the sew
erance of diplomatic relations with
Germany. April 6 the president signed
a joint resolution of the two houses
of congress declaring state of war
to exist with Germany. In quick sue
cession came the selective service act
for the raising of an army; war
appropriation Of S3,OO0,OOO,OOO; the
sending OF an expeditionary force Of
regulars to France under General
Pershing; the registration of nearly
lc,OOO,OOO men for military service
the closing of the first Liberty loan
with large oversubscription; the
drafting of the state militia into the
federal service. October q formal an
nouncement was made that American
troops in France had fired their first
shot In war;
Nevertheless, the spring of 1918 saw
three huge drives on Paris by the Ger
mans. BY June the Germans were
within 46 miles of the French capital,
in Chateau-Thierry. Unless they were
speedily stopped Paris would he under
their guns. The plan of the French
was to delay them as long as possible
by rear-guard actions until reserves
could be brought up.
Yankees Stop Huns.
And then took place the thing
which all good Americans were prayer
fully expecting: American soldiers
got into action in American fashion.
under American leadership, with
American artillery and machine guns.
The French commander sent to
Chateau-Thierry an American division
made up of marines and of infantry
from the middle West. June 2 tho
leathernecks and doughboys moved
into support positions back of season
ed French troops. The French were
forced back and filtered through the
Americans; the support positions soon
became the front.
June 4, about five o'clock in the aft
ernOon, the Germans attacked in force
through a wheat field, in platoon COL
umns, in perfect order, supremely con-
fident. The Americans raked them
with shrapnel and machine guns. Then
they opened with rifle fire. Cool. un-
hurried, they picked their shots as If
at target practice. Military experts
will tell you that the American ma
rines are the most effective fighting
men in all the armies of the world; GER
tainly they have no equals with the
rifle.
on again. Twice more they stopped !;
twice more advanced Then they broke.
Flesh and blood could not stand that
rifle fire. They crawled off through the
standing grain. The Americans sent
bullets wherever the wheat stirred.
That was the end
Days and nights of. heavy lombard
ment followed. Sleep was impossible.
The Americans lived on monkey
meat" bread and water. Then they
went on and took the town Of Boures-
ches. cleaning out the nests of machine
gunners with rifle fire. bayonet and
grenade.
What They Have They Hold.
Next they took the Bois de Belleau.
1t was jungle. 1t was every man for
himself. Indian fashion. from tree to
tree, from rock to rock. The battal-
ion Of leathernecks which took the
wood went in with 958 men and &c
officers. They came out with $40 men
and seven officers. But they took
the wood. Then they dug themselves
in and fought of counter-attacks for
five days until relieved. constantly
shelled and gassed. not one hot meal
all that time. What the leathernecks
have they hold.
This one division used up FIVE crack
divisions of the Germans.
There are those among the allies
who say that the Americans at Cha
teau-Thierry saved Paris. just as the
Canadians saved Calais. When the
military history Of the Great War II
written Chateau-Thierry is likely to
be called the turning point of the
struggle. For Its moral force was be-
yond estimate. It put new heart into
the war-worn French and British. All
France famed with Joy. The Ameri.
cans ha dstopped the Hun. had driven
him back, had beaten him Off. And
thousands upon thousands of just such
Americans were in plain sight pushing
to the front!
General Foch in supreme command
of the allies on the western front. soon
afterward launched the allied offensive
and victory followed victory all along
the fighting line Of 250 miles from the
North sea to yerdun. It was the be
ginning Of the end.
By early October the Hun was beat
en- to his knees and asking for peace
October 81 the Italians utterly routed
the Austrians. The same day Turkey
surrendered. November 3 Austria
signed an armistice virtually amount.
ing to unconditional surrender. No
vember Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated
and Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm
rencunced the throne, both fleeing to
Holland to escape a people in revolu-
ton.
So the mad ambition Of Emperor
William II Of Germany to conquer the