davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1918-02-24

summit is about two hundred feet
above the water level of the brooks,
which run rather moro than a mile
on either side OF Il.
This rectangular salient was not
quite a mile long and was rather
over half a mile in depth. German
observation posts on its summit were
able to command excellent observa-
ton over the French trenches upon
either side of it, and the salient thus
possessed the power of causing spe-
cial annoyance to tho French when
ever the enemy chose to use it for
that purpose.
But this was not the reason the
higher command determined to wipe
out the salient. 1t was chosen rather
because It was a good place upon
which to practice the first experiment
in combination between the new and
old troops. This combination in this
particular experiment consisted in the
supporting OF French infantry by
American artillery using the fire OF
their field pieces in what the French
call a "barraEe" and the English "cur-
tain fire" The point was to test the
degree Of perfection which the newly
arrived American gunners had reached
in this novel and extremely delicate
and specialized tactic. which was ut
teTly unknown before the present
war and has been entirely developed
by II.
The Washington times., 1918-02-24
BY HILAIRE BELLOC.
y action took place on Wednes-
L ~. .

A y action took place on Neones-
n day. the 18th OF February,
~ small in extent. but Of high
4 historical Importance. 1t was
the first military operation in which
French and American troops acted
together upon any considerable scale.
j is known as the action of Tahure.
or the Butte du Mesnil.
The action was for the capture OF
a sort Of lump or slight height in
rolling ground Of the bare and desc
late Champagne country near what
are now the ruins of Tahure. All this
district. lying just to the west of the
great Argonne forest, is an uneven
rolling mass OF poor. chalky soil,
which had been planted during the
last generation with small groups OF
pine trees scattered here and there.
In the neighborhood Of the trench
lines these had long been shattered
into a dismal vista of broken stumps
under the tremendous pounding OF the
gunfire used by both sides during the
great French assault against the Ger
The Washington times., 1918-02-24
BnrraEe Impossible
With OId-StyIe Guns.

"Barrage," or curtain fire." sig
nifies creation of a line, or rather
a narrow belt, OF shell bursts in
front OF advancing troops or over
trenches, which shall be so contin-
uous as theoretically to prevent the
possibility OF any living things pass
ing through, and which actually in
practice shall render such passage
so dangerous and expensive Of life
that it will hardly be attempted.
II is clear that artillery tactics of
this sort were impossible before ne
advent OF the quick-firing field gun
twenty-odd years ago. when the
French invented the 75-milIimeter
gun. Even a very large concen,ra.
ton OF the old-style guns-such as
the French 9O-millimeter. which pre-
ceded the present 75-and even II
that concentration were directed
against a comparatively short line,
would never have given anything like
the results Of the modern barrage
fire.
This was for two reasons. First.
because the rate of fire OF the olu
guns was not nearly rapid enough,
and, second, because they could not
be fired with sufficient accuracy.
The old gun did not absorb the shock
Of its own recoil: it had to be relaid
and rcpointed after every shot had
been fired, since the reCoil from the
shot drove the trail deeper and deep
er into the ground and shifted the
whole position OF the carriage. The
consequence was that the maximum
rate Of fire was not even a fifth or a
sixth Of the rate which 1t became pos
Eible TO obtain when a gun had been
produced which absorbed its own re
coil without changing the position OF
the Carriage or the laying Of the gun
and thus could be fired off pretty
nearly as fast as the carriers OF
shells could reload 81. subject only TO
the heating Of the brecch to point
whcr. there wa danger OF premature
explosions Of the shells. The newest
French quick-firers are said to have
touched thirty rounds minute. and
! myself have seen them pass twenty
rounds.
1t viii be clear that the accuracy
CT FIRE. as well as the rapidly OF
The Washington times., 1918-02-24

steps was no longer possible, yet this
second phase was developed with
great rapidity and astonishing ac-
curacy and is now the universal
method.
Coincidentally with this develop
The Washington times., 1918-02-24
WHERE AMERICAN GUNS HELPED FRENCH OFFENSIVE

a hundred yards or SO in front or
your men, shooting over their heads.
This curtain or barrage shell nre
was designed to blind the enemy 8
defense and protect your own ad-
vance almost up to the moment when
tho enemy trench was reached. At
that point the barrage was lifted
and further extended toward the op-
ponent's rear.
1t Is clear that even IN Its early
stages this operation was an eN-
ceedingly delicate one. It was new
thing to ask troops to advance with
their own shells screaming above
their heads. There would be losses
among your own men from "prema-
lures" that is to say, shells which
burst before they reach the barrage
line: though the cone OF the disper-
sion OF the fragments OF the burst
ing shell was all toward the enemy,
It was a severe trial, especially in
the experimental beginnings OF the
thing, for a man to advance even
100 or $50 yards behind such a storm
OF metal.
Shortening the Curtain
To Twenty-Five Yards.
The next development was to
shorten the barrage-that is, to get
men to advance with the bursting
line of shells closer and closer to
them, and. therefore, nearer over
their own heads. It is obvious that
the nearer you could get the edvane-
ing line OF men to the barrage the
better that advancing line was pro-
tected, for the less was the gap be-
tween the time when the barrage
was lifted from the enemy's trenches
and the time when your own men
reached 1t. II this time could be cut
short enough, II would obviously be-
come impossible for the defenders Of
the trench to swarm out from the
dugouts in which they had taken
refuge from the shells in time to
offer any serious resistance to the in
fantry. The handling OF this form OF
barrage attained such a perfection
at last that margins OF only fifty
yards were common, and sometimes
troops got within twenty-five yards
OF the barrages.
The next step was the development
Of the creeping barrage," which was,
believe, British in origin. The
enemy's trenches, though roughly
parallel 10 your own, are never eX-
actly parallel Sometimes there is a
considerable difference in alignment.
Your trenches, for instance, in the
particular sector for which the attack
is planned. might be roughly a
straight line, while the enemy's might
be sinuous one. Photographs
taken from the air (the allies had be-
gun Photography in the first autumn
OF the war and brought 1t to a high
degree OF perfection) had exactly
plotted for you upon a Iarge-scale
map the enemy's front trench: your
barrage fire began In front OF your
own trenches along a line correspond
ing to the shape OF your own trenches,
but as II approached the enemy's
trench Il would take more and more
the shape of his line.
Greater skill
In Creeping Curtain.
The advantage OF this new perfec-
ton in methods was obvious, but II
was also obvious that II required
much greater skill on the part of
the men handling the guns than did
the first crude method OF a mere
straight line OF curtain fire. Each
gun had a separate task assigned to
It; a general order TO the whole line
of guns TO shift their fire by fixed
The Washington times., 1918-02-24
PRoFITEER REFUNDS.

A New Orleans food wholesaler,
whose name IS kept secret by the
Food Administratlo has paid ;75D
to the Red Cross and refunded eX-
cessive profits to his customers. it is
officially announced. Louisiana Food
Administrator Parker EusDendsd fur
thar prooSSdinGA
The Washington times., 1918-02-24
IT, s. GUNS AIDED
: :FRENCHM TAKING
HULATARGONNE

man lines here in September OF 1915.
That assault, which failed after
weeks of effort to break through the
German line "cryStallized,' as the
phrase Eoes-that is, the lines after
surging back and forth. finally settled
down-on the last set OF the trenches
in the Germans defense system.
These trenches have kept almost eN-
actly their same configuration for the
two and a half years since that battle
ended.
Good Place for
First Joint Attack.
Upon a ridge between two muddy
streams-the sources OF the Dormoise
to the north and OF the Little Marson
to the south-a portion OF the Ger
man defensive system established at
that time tutted out from their gen
eral line. making a small rectangular
salient, three sides OF which inclosed
the somewhat higher roll Of land Of
which I have spoken. 1t was once
overed with small pines. Now only
their shattered stumps remain. Its
The Washington times., 1918-02-24

fire, was very largely increased by
the use Of the new weapon, for, since
the gun absorbs its recOil and points
after each shot exactly as it did be
fore, the error between the FIRST
shot and the second, that between
the second and the third. etc, would
be nothing more than that trifle du"
to some slight difference in tho
charge, some imperceptibIe move
ment in the trail and. its spade or
some slight change in the wind,
where as when the old-fashioned
gun was being fired there came in
the personal error OF the gun layer
himself and OF his mate at the hand
spike with which the trail Of the old
fashioned gun was shifted. The sec
ond aiming Of the gun was sepa-
rate operation from that which pre-
ceded the first shot: so was the third
q separate operation from the sec
ond. And so for each new shot there
was a personal coefhcient OF error
due to the imperfection of two
human beings who had to act as best
they could in concert.
The barrage fire thus made pos
sible by the new quick-fring field
piece, OF which the French are the
pioneers, was developed in the early
months OF the war by the genius of
the French artillery. and was very
rapidly copied by the enemy and by
Frances allies.
In its original form the object OF
the barrage was merely to cover the
advance OF the infantry; It was
rigid in alignment and bracket
the bracket being the extent OF vari-
alton In range allowed from the me-
dian point upon which the barrage
fhfa tactic
was still in its experimental stage
and because the command did not
know how infantry would behave
with shell fire 60 close over their
heads and so near in front OF their
advance.
The barrage was established 100
yards at least, and often more, In
front OF the advancing troops. Sup
pose you had a front line with the
enemy trenches following a certain
crest, while your trenches ran rough
ly parallel TO his and perhaps 200
yards away. The original method OF
attack was this:
Preparation for
An Easy Victory.
You FIRST pounded his trenches with
heavy artillery emplaced and hidden
several thousand yards behind your
lines This preparation" continued
until the command thought nearly all
of the opponents were in their dug
outs or were so shaken and the
trenches so filled by the exploding
shells that the defence would be suf-
iciently weakened to permit an easy
victory when the prearrauged mo-
ment for your attack should have
come. That moment had to be fixed
beforehand. All officers watches
were synchronized, and at the zero
moment your men went over the top
Of the trenches and got across the
open of No Mans Land toward ths
enemy's trenches, Crouching as they
advanced and with the intention OF
occupying those trenches. before the
defenders could sally from their dug
outs and check them.
But to permit this maneuver. see
ing how large a section OF the Ad-
vance even single machine gun
could hold up. the curtain or barrage
fire of field guns came into play.
These pieces, smaller than the great
guns which had been used to pound
the enemy trenches to pieces, were
placed within several hundred yards
behind your own trenches and drop
ped a continual line of bursting shells
The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1918-03-13
MRS. HIRSCH LOSES
CHANGE OF VENUE

Atlanta, March l2-Judge Ben Hill,
i'll superior court, late today denied
the motion for change of venue in
the case of Mrs. Herman H. Hirsch,
indicted jointly with ]. w. Cook, of
Atlanta, on a charge of attempting
to blackmail Mayor Asa G. Gambler.
Cook was convicted of the charge on
Feb. II. Mrs Hirsch's case will go to
trial Tuesday. ~
Mrs. Hirsch petitioned for the
change of venue on the ground that
she would be unable to get an inn
partial trial here because of popular
prejudice" In denying the motion,
Judge Hill announced he would give
her counsel the right to question the
talesmen concerning their opinion in
the case, just as would be done in the
trial of case involving "a capital
crime. The special right, Judge Hill
added, will be given the defendants
counsel to make double sure that the
trial is fair and impartial"
The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1918-03-13
WHITE MANS BODY
IS FOUND IN LAKE

Triton, March 1.-THE body of
George Hendley, a white man, 20 to
IS years old, was found in a lake in
New River, four miles east of Lenox
Sunday afternoon. His legs were tied
together tightly at the knees and
hands tied above a foot apart. A sack
of sand weighing ten to fifteen
pounds was attached to the neck.
Medical examination showed the
neck had been broken.
Small boys fishing at the lake Sat-
urday saw Hendley's clothes hanging
in trees and reported the matter.
Searching parties went to the lake
sunday and saw the body rise.
Hendley leaves wife and four
children. He was last seen Saturday
on the. road leading to the river. No
cause is known for his death.
The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1918-03-13
CHAMBER Of COMMERCE H0[DS
ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING; {. \.
CLARK IS ELECTED SECRET ARy

Griffin, J. NJ. Mcdonald and G. S.
F1ournoy, who presided at the punch
bowls, and to Mesdames w A.
Adams, ]. l.. Pittman, L. l. Griner,
and A. H. Denmark, who served
sandwiches, and to Mrs. L. Ke;m.
whoseFexcellent chemistry produced
that delightful punch, the Fitzgerald
Chamber of Ccmemrce md its guests
of the evening are due these public
spirited ladies.
At the conclusion of the social hour
s. 0. S. cali was sent out for the
remaining members of the Board of
Governors &c make drive for the
services oi Nr. Clark as Executive
Secretary for the organization, and
through Messrs. Griner and Brewer, a
special committee to advise with the
visitor, Mr.. Clark's services were Sc
cured for campaign of publicity and
construction to begin March Is.
The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1918-03-13
BRUNSWICK SHIP
BUILDERS STRIKE.
CALLED OFF:

Brunswick, Ga, March l2.-Tkr.
thousand workers at the plant Of tRss.
American Shipbuilding company. wIaw
went out on strike Saturday after
noon, returned to work this afterrnux
the strike having been settled lolEwwa-
ing conference attended by Govern
ment representatives who reached ting.
city yesterday.
The strike was caused because dir
head caulker, who is president of aIse
local union, was discharged by sire.
foreman, the men quitting woTk usasx
the union president. A setrIerxenr
was reached whes it was dccSkrIE
that neither of these men retnsn ssn,
work at present.
The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1918-03-13
5000 GEORGIA
NEGROES CALLED
TO THE COLORS

Atlanta, Ga. March i3-Five thous-
and Georgia negroes. completing the
quota from this state in the first
National Army, have been called to
the colors beginning March %. and
on the same date the state will fur
nish 925 white men as its quota of a
special increment. of.9S,000 white men
called to fill up gaps in the various
training camps. Georgia's white men
called to fill up gaps for the first
National Army is already complete.
Quotas for the second" National
Army will be announced by the war
department as soon as congress dis
poses of pending legislation govern
ing the quotas for the various states.
In furnishing the balance of 5000
negroes still due by this state, and the
YES white men due as our quota of the
special increment, the local boards
of Georgia will be governed by Pres
ident Wilson's instructions to place
farmers at the bottom Of the liability
list in class l. This order is explained
in the following telegram by Provost
Marshal General Crowder to Major
Joel B. Mallet. officer in charge of
the selective service law in Georgia.
The general staff authorizes this
office to announce that the situation
arising from the shortage of farm la
Dor demands that the call of men ac-
lively, completely and assiduously
engaged in planting or cultivating a
crop, but who are in Class /, and
within the new quota; should be de-
ferred until the end of the present
agricultural season. President Will
son directs that in filling the CALL the
local boards shall pass the order num-
bers Of such men and defer their call
for the present.
The telegram then states that men
deferred who trifle with their defer
ment. and neglect their farms, shall
be forthwith called to the colors.
The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1918-03-13
81. ARE. KILLED
IN GERMAN AIR
RAID OVER PARIS

London, March 12.-Hostile air
ships attacked the Yorkshire Coast
tonight, according to an official state
ment. The raid is still in progress.
Paris, March 2.-Thirty-four per-
sons were killed and 70 others were
injured in Paris and its suburbs as a
result of last nights German air raid.
In addition to the bomb victims,
sixty-six persons were suffocated
through crowding in a panic into a
metropolitan railway entrance to take
refuge from the raiders. These were
for the most part women and child
rem
Of the bomb victims, % were killed
and 50 injured in Paris and FIVE kill
ed and % injured in the suburbs.
The Germans lost four airplanes
in last nights attack on Paris. Nine
squadrons took part in the raid.
The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1918-03-13
j. s. TROOPS
REACH GERMAN
SECOND LINE.

New York, March I2.-fGmerirxH
initiative has asserted itself oa the,
Lorraine front in France.
Three savage raids on the Gexrzszm.
lines have been made by the AnaeTs-
cans, who succeeded in reaching TING
second line of enemy trenches hekaxr
being ordered to return.
During their stay in German held
territory they destroyed carefaaly-
built defenses and picked up. masesk.,
war material.
The American artillery ably assist.
ed the infantry in the operatiOn- a.
heavy barrage fire was laid down ma
front of the advancing Americans
and the Germans had fed before fAs,.
wave of infantry reached the hSssslr.
positions.
After the Americans had! bscu i'm,
the German trenches for a. few min.
utes the German barragc fire was.,
loosed on them, but tie Americas.
guns answered shot for shot and SD
fenced number of batteries.
The American artillerymea. nscd
gas shells with good effect.
Near foul the. American heavy
guns have been in action.
Three raids on the British fisuess
have been attempted by the GaTrnans.
in the Armentieres sector, Bxa ahr
British, in spite of heavy FIRE frcnn,
the enemy's heavy guns, repuIsed the
Ieutons. The fighting has spread
along the Flanders front, the fpres
and Passenchendaele sectors figuring
in the official reports.
The activities of the contendIrse
armies have spread farther south. cn
counters near St. Quentin being u,cu-
toned for the FIRST time in recenyr
weeks.
The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1918-03-13
WILL LOOK THE
BOYS OVER IN
RANCE
Uss'sO6

Washington, D. c., March ll-Safe
arrival in France of Secretary Baker
and his party having been formally
announced today by the Navy De-
partment, press reports about his
movements on the other side are be-
ing watched closely. ~,
Many officials think it possible that
the secrecy of his activities, if per-
mltted to pass the censors, will
throw interesting light upon the OBJ
ject of his mission to the theater of
war.
Emphasis laid by the War Depart
ment upon the fact that Mr.. Bakers
trip was purely military pilgrimage,
without diplomatic significance, has
directed attention to the known de-
side OF President Wilson to see an
energetic campaign waged by the al
lies. With American troops holding
constantly increasing sector of the
battle lines, the wishes of the Wash
ington government undoubtedly will
have even greater weight than here
totore with the allied chieftains.
Secretary Baker will be able to
learn first-hand from Gen. Pershinp
the Judgment of that officer on all
that is going on in France. He will
not only hear the prospects for his
own forces, but will also get views,
founded on long-continued observa-
ton, as to the French and British
war machines. 1t is assumed that the
secretary is gathering such informa-
tion for. the President, and, going as
he. has done, backed by intimate
knowledge of all that has transpired
in the United States since this coun-
try entered the great war, he will be
able to give as we'll as receive import
ant information.
The great question of the direction
in which the United States is to ex-
ert its greatest efforts in the war may
be decided on the result of the con-
ference abroad. There has been a
constant conflict not only as to the
use of ship tonnage as between the
shipment of troops and the shipment
of supplies for the allies, but also as
to the priority rights of various army
supplies and equipment.
Aside from any particular object
the War Secretary's trip may have,
he has been eager to get to the front
ever since the United States entered
the war. He has frequently told Off
crs en- route to Europe that he en-
We'd them their opportunity to see
world history in the making. Added
to that, is his great feeling of. per-
sonal responsibility for the war prep
arations of the government.
The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1918-03-13
SAYS GERMANY MUST BE
CRUSHED AT ALL ODDS

Savannah, Ga, March i2-Germany
must be crushed at all odds according
to Henry Van Dyke, author and dip
lomat, and former United States min
lister to Holland, who visited Savan-
nah this week. Mr.. Van Dyke has
been commissioned chaplain in the
U. 5. Navy and has the rank of lieu
tenant-commander. He is visiting the
various naval training stations in this
section of the country.
The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1918-03-13
HILL COUNTY, GEORGIA. MAR. Is. 1918
.DUGGAN SURVEYv G
BEN HILLS RURAL
SCHOOLS

State Supervisor, of Rural Schools
Prof. Duggan returned to the city
Monday to complete the survey of
the rural schools and has been &C
companied on his trips by Supt. ]. H.
Billiard and County Agent J. T. Pitt
man. Prof. Duggan will complete his
survey in time to meet with the coun-
ty board of education, which will hold
a special meeting Thursday.
This work is most important one,
for when completed the entire. his
tory of our rural schools will become
available to the patrons in the shape
of bulletin, fully illustrated, and
showing the exact condition of the
various schools in the county, their
cost, equipment and efficiency
Recommendations as to methods and
other means of improving the value
of the schools will be made. The
taxpayers will have the entire system
before their eyes and can for them
selves ascertain whether they desire
to make the needed improvements, if
any are recommended.
Another important feature of this
survey will be map showing the To-
cations of the various schools and
patrons of the more isolated one
room school houses may get better
idea for consolidation.
Prof. Duggan will visit the City
schools during Thursday at the in
vitation of Superintendent Ricketson,