The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-05-17
j. s. TROOPS
STRENGTHEN
ALLIED LINE
IN FLANDERS
American Troops Arrive on
British Front which Bars
Way of Germans to the
English Channel.
FIRST TO Be BRIGADED
(By Associated Press)

tBy Associated Press)
America is contributing to
the stiffening of the allied line
not only in Picardy, but in
Flanders.
American troops, today's dis
patches report, have arrived on
the British front and are finish
ing their training among the
troops holding the line which
bars the way of the Germans to
the English channel, the objec-
tive in the north.
So far as is known, these
Americans are the first troops
to get into the fighting zone as
units brigaded with the British.
They are part of the force which
has been dispatched from the
United States in the new move
lnent of troops forecast soon aft
er the German offensive was
started in March.
It seems not improbable that
there will be renewal of the
German thrust in the Flanders
area shortly, either as a sep
arate operation or in conjunc-
ton with the opening of an of
fensive on a great scale all along
the battle line.
<By Associated Press)
WITH AMERICAN ARMY IN
FANCE. May 17.-Troops of the new
| American army have arrived within
the zone of British forces in northern
France and are completing training in
area occupied by Troops blocking path
of Germans to channel ports.
Their commander already has COM
| manded American forces in trenches
on the French front.
The British officers and men who
are training the new forces say the
Americans are Of the finest material
| and are certain to give most excellent
account of themselves when they meet
the Germans.
British troops greeted the Ameri-
cans not only as comrades in arms.
but as warm friends and the work of
instruction is being continued in that
spirit.
The American forces upon arriving
| within the British zone were cheered
to the skies by the sons of Briton,
many of whom bore unmistakable
signs Of battle. They had not seen
the Americans before, but they knew
they were coming. The Americans on
the other hand gained all the more
enthusiasm by the heartiness of the
greeting which they received from the
battle SCARED comrades in arms
Germans Persistentiy Active.
The German guns have been per-
sistently active all around the Lys
salient where the enemy wedge pro-
trudes toward Hazebrouck, the rail-
way junction which is the key to the
transportation system in this whole
area, and an increase in the intensity
Of the bombardment there is report
ed by the London war Office today.
On the Somme front the chief ac-
tivity continues to manifest itself in
the vicinity Of Hailles, where the Ger
man salient in Picrady has its tip.
The French have been cutting into
the German advanced line here re-
Gently and the guns of the opposing
artillery forces are align hamrering
at each others positions as if in prep
aration for some new movement by
one side or the other.
Except for raiding operations there
have been no infantry action on either
of the battle fronts The air forces
have been extremely busy. however,
and incidentally the Americans are
~L l. 4,
branch of the fighting service.
Expect infantry Attack.
Germany still hesitates to renew
heavy fighting on the main battlefelds
of the western front, but the increase
in aerial and artillery activity indi-
Gates that infantry fighting on a larger
scale TIM in the past two weeks soon
again may be in progress.
Allied and German gunners are
harrassing the opposing lines with
shell fire and this fighting continues
most marked on the front north OF the
Lys, in Flanders, and south of the
Somme, in Picardy 1t has been the
German policy to precede a strong in
fantry operation with few hours OF
the most intense artillery fire, but the
enemy bombardments have not yet
reached the highest pitch, though IL is
believed the German preparation for
another offensive move are about COM
pleted
Along the front from the Stel-io
pass to Lake Garda, enemy patrols
have been repulsed by the Italians.
Between Lake Garda and the Brenta
and on the Asiago plateau the artil-
lery fire has increased.
(By Associated Press.)
WASHINGTON. May 17.-American
troops referred to as New Amer'"""
army" in dispatches reporting their
arrival in zone of BRITISH ops. a,.v-,
in France, are forces being brigaded
and trained with British, probably on
Flanders battlefront.
They are not troops detached from
General Pershing's present forces, but
are part of new movement troops from