The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-08-14
FRANCE RINGS
With PRAISE
Yankees Are Making, Good As Fight.
ers, Writes n. c. Evans, the Re-
views CORRESPONDENT.
ALL FRANCE PRAISES THE BOYS
Apparent Doubt at First As to Our
Boys Fighting Ability, but All
Doubt Now Cleared Away.
BY n. C. EVANS.


MY, France, July IS
"U. s. troops drive Germans across
the Marne"
"Yanks capture a thousand Ger
man prisoners!"
"U. S. Marines hurl back foe in
hand to hand fight"
Americans capture twenty machine
guns!"
"Over 100000 United States troops
in France!"
'Why limit our army to five mil
lion men," asks President Wilson.
For days the Americans have
faced torrents of machine gun fire,
shrapnel and high explosive shells.
They have passed through the sever
they have gone over the top, hurled
the enemy back, held the captured po-
sitions and taken prisoners and guns" !"
Such are the newspaper headlines
that have electrified France and raised
every American on French soil 100
per cent in the estimation of the
French people. BY nature the French
are hero worshippers. They think
more of men than measures. There's
always some Napoleon who is their
idol. Just now their idol is the Amer
ican soldier. So long did we hesitate
about entrance into the war and so
slow seemed our preparations after
entrance, that the French became
doubtful.
On one or more occasions, after we
had taken over front line trenches,
army with their own troops when the
line was threatened. There was ap-
parent doubt in the French mind as
to our boys fighting ability. This was
known to the boys and it irritated
them. For months they were waiting
an opportunity.
Our Boys stormed Them.
The opportunity came and all the
doubts are dispelled. From Bordeaux
to Verdun, from Brest to the Alsa-
clan front, all France Is ringing with
praise for the achievements OF our
men. Nothing else could have so
heartened France. Nothing else could
have so stiffened the determination
of her own troops.
/ have spent few days here at
the headquarters of the American
army. There is no buster place on
the globe, nor is there any place
where so important business is daily
and hourly being transacted. Upon
the shoulders of General Pershing and
his officers here rest the veal or woe
of civilization.
Everybody believes now that the
United States is to be the determining
factor in the war Our government
has lines of communication from these
headquarters to every town and city,.
to every wheat field, to every factory,
to every taxpayers pocket in the Unit
ed States. From here survey of his
continents is made. Crop reports
from all America and Europe are eag-
er'y watched. The reports of ship
building by the allies are daily CON
sidered. The capacity and move.
ments of the merchant ships of the
world are noted. The business of war
is diversified. Behind every man with
a gun are several other men. In addi-
tion to the flyer there are sixteen
other men to every airplane. The gen.
eral work splits into many depart
ments and divisions, production, con-
struction, supply, transportation. Sup
plies must be stored at many points
and forwarded daily. Great camps
must be organized, engineering and
repair shops built, hundreds of miles
of railway tracks laid, hospitals and
and locomotive shops
erected. Uncle Sam has given his
best men to this work. Here at army
headquarters are found as capable,
efficient men as America affords. Emf
nent physicians have foregone their
lucrative practice to take charge of
hospital work. Architects and engi.
neers whose income was designated
by five and six figures are working
night and day for the salary of lieu.
tenant, captain or a major. Cap
tains of finance and business are do
ing likewise. Thanks to the gener-
osity of congress and the folk at home,
there's no lack of money. That ever
perplexing question in ordinary bust.
ness affairs is eliminated.
Air of Intense Energy.
There's no excitement, no nervous.
ness, at NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. an air
Of tense energy Hundreds of clerks
are employed. Everywhere there is
perfect system. Nor is it the system
Of great governmental department
at Washington where time seems to
be the least important thing to con-
slider. It is rather the system of the
Ford factory, for instance, where ev-
cry man has just so many minutes,
and so many feet of floor space, in
which to do his bit as the car that is.
being assembled moves along the
tracks. Abundant, wholesome food
stuff must at all times be available
for the army. Munitions of all sorts
must be convenient; transportation
lines must be open and properly equip.
ped with rolling stock; lumber and
coal and oil and a thousand and one
other essentials must be ready on
demand. In all branches Of the work
is certain and definitely
fixed. Just as definitely as the old
prophet Nathan fixed responsibility on
King David when he pointed to him
and exclaimed, Thou art the man,
do the powers that be fix responsibility