Republican farmer., 1918-04-05

With the American Army in
France, Thursday, March 28-
(By the Associated Press -
Two officers and four men went
"over the top" today in broad
daylight, a fact seldom accom-
plished. The Americans decid.
ed not to defer any longer their
determination to learn def
nitely whether Germans were
present in great numbers in an
enemy firing trench.
When dawn came there were faint
clouds showing back of the enemy's
lines and the Americans delayed for
a time, but when the clouds disap-
peared the two officers and the four
men decided to make the daylight
venture,
Machine guns were posted, and the
Americans with grenades swinging at
their waists and with rifles in hand,
clambered up from the fire step and
out over the parapet. They slid head
the Journey was on.
Moving from shell hole to shell hole,
taking advantage of the slightest rise
in the terrain, the patrol proceeded.
In the trenches behind them their
comrades stood with fingers or their
rifles, ready to fire the instant any
Germans might show themselves.
From the American lines the patrol
7,
through the enemy wire and one by
one disappear into the German front
trench.
During the next four hours the men
in the trenches waited anxiously,
hearing nothing from the patrol who
during that time, were inspecting 500
yards of the German trenches.
Prepared for instant battle, the six
Americans made their way from one
trench sector to another, going into
each dugout with the muzzles of their
pistol rifles preceding them and trav-
elled 900 yards. Returning to the
point from which they had started on
this inspection, they searched the
trenches 80 yards in the other direc-
ton. While four hours may seem a
long time for this work, it must be
kept in mind that every bend and
every dugout might contain an over
whelming enemy group, and there
was no assurance that the Germans
had not discovered what the Ameri-
cans were doing and that they had
not concealed men in places, prepared
TO met the invaders.
1t was noon when first the head OF
an American was observed above an
enemy parapet. The watchers in the
American lines breathed easier, but
at this moment the Germans discov-
cred the patrol and rifle bullets began
to SNEAK against the trench sides and
bottom.
The six Americans returned un.
I scatched to our lines, bringing all the
information they had sought.
At the other end of our lines during
the night American patrols sough
to go through the enemy wire. They
penetrated the first belt successfully
but when they reached the second {
sergeant, who is from Texas, put hi
hand on wire and received an cleo
trio shock and was burned
This attracted the attention of al
enemy sentry, who fired a flare, fore
ing the Americans to drop to tn,
ground, and they crawled hurried!
back to their own lines as the far
died away.
While there is no false optimism
regarding events in northern Franc,
in the American expeditionary force
all ranks, although realizing that tn
situation is tense, are confident tina
the Allied arms a. eventually will b
victorious.
Not the slightest doubt is expresses
that the British and French will no
only halt the enemy, but defeat him.
All the American troops are anxiou
to get into the fight and are enviou
of the role played by the handful o
American railroad engineers who ar
believed to have been caught in tn
German advance.
Some of the Americans far back c
the lines have insisted that the
heard the rumble of the guns in tn
zone of fighting, but this is not prob
able because of the distance Of tn
American sector from the battle from
This is taken of an indication of tn
anxiety of the Americans to get int
action against the Germans.
To the American troops training
northern France the great battle
Picardy has had the effect of maxim
them speed up their work for the
feel that eventuahties might make
necessary for them to take part
che fighting.