The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1918-12-13
STORY OF WAR IS
TOLD BY PERsH|NG.
Detailed Report of How U. S. Men
Won Battles.
CRISIS CAME ON MARCH Fl
Says American Operations Previous to
That Date Were Only a Part OF
Their Training = Pays SUI
preme Tribute to Army.

Washington, Dec. Seen. John j.
Pershing's account of his stewardship
| as commander of the American eXpe-
| dictionary forces was given to the pub
| lie Wednesday by Secretary Baker.
1t is in the form of a preliminary re-
| port to the secretary, covering opera
| tons up to November 20, after the
| German collapse. 1t closes with these
words from the leader of the great
army in France, expressing his feeling
for those who served under him:
81 pay the supreme tribute to our
| officers and soldiers of the line. When
| I think of their heroism, their patience
under hardships, their unflinching spir-,
| it of offensive action, am filled with
| emotion which / am unable to express.
Their deeds are immortal and they
| have earned the eternal gratitude of
| our country"
The report begins with General
| Pershing's departure for France to
| pave the way for the army that was to
smash German resistance on the
Mouse and give vital aid to the allies
in forcing Germany to it's knees 10
months later.
Crisis on March II.
General Pershing views the encoun-
tiers before March 21 of this year, in
which American troops participated as
part of their training, and dismisses
them briefly. On that date, however,
| the great German offensive was
launched and crucial situation quick
| ly developed in the allied lines which
| called for prompt use of the four
! American divisions that were at the
| time equal to any demands of battle
| action"
'"The crisis which this offensive de-
geloped was SUCH" General Pershing
says, "that on March % / placed at
the disposal of Marshal Foch, who had
been agreed upon as commander in
| chief of the allied armies, all of our
forces. AT his request the First divi-
sion was transferred from the Toul
sector to position in reserve at Chau
mont en- Vexin.
| GAS German superiority in numbers
required prompt action, an agreement
was reached at the Abbeville confer
ence of the allied premiers and COM
manderS and myself on May by
which British shipping was to trans
/ port ten American divisions to the
British army area, where they were to
be trained and equipped, and addition
al British shipping was to be. provided
for as many divisions as possible for
use elsewhere.
Men Eager for Test.
"On April 26 the First division had
gone into the line in the MOntdidier
salient, on the Picardy battle front.
Tactics had been suddenly revolution
lied to those of open warfare, and our
men, confident of the results of their
| training, were eager for the test. On
the morning Of May % this division
attacked the commanding German po-
sition in it's front, taking with splendid
dash the town of Cantigny and all
other detectives, which were organized
and held steadfastly against vicious
counter-attacks and CALLING artillery
| Ere.
| although local, this brilliant action
had an electrical effect, as it demon
strated our fighting qualities under
| extreme battle conditions and also that
the ,enemy's troops were not altogether
lnvincible."
| Hold Foe at Chateau Thierry.
| There followed Immediately the Ger
man thrust across the Aisne river to-
ward Paris He continues:
| 'The Third division, which had just
come from it's preliminary training in
the trenches, was hurried to the
Marine. Its motorized machine-gun
| battalion preceded the other units and
successfully held the bridgehead at
the Marine, opposite Chateau Thierry.
| "The Second division, in reserve
near Montdidier, was sent by motor
| trucks and other available transport
to check the progress of the enemy
| toward Paris. The division attacked
and reteok the town and railroad sta
ton at Bouresches and sturdily held
it's ground against the enemys best
guard divisions.
I'm the battle of Belleau wood, which
| followed, our men proved their SUI
| perority and gained strong tactical
position, with far greater loss to the
enemy than to ourselves. On July /,
before the Second was relieved, it cap
| tured the village of Vaux with SPLEEN
did precision.
Stand Between Paris and Foe.
| Meanwhile our Second corps, under
Maj Gen. George w. Read, had been
organized for the command of our
divisions with the British, which were
held back in training areas or as
| signed to secOnd-line defenses. Five of
| the ten divisions were withdrawn from
| the British area in June, three to re-
lieve divisions in Lorraine and the
VOsges and two were sent to the Paris
| area to join the group of American
| divisions. which stood between the city
and any further advance of the enemy
| in that direction"
By that time the great tide of Amer
lean troop movements to France was
in full swing and the older divisions
could be used freely. The Forty-sec-
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