Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-09-16
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER l6, 1918
Our Fighters Meet the Test.

The cable news from the Lorraine
battlefield is such as makes every Amerl-
can heart beat fast and proudly Ameri-
can troops have finally been put TO the
supreme test in battle and that they have
won great victory is known to every
people except the Teutons. And where
valor is admired the United States Army
ia acclaimed rs one of the best fighting
machines that even the sun of France
has ever shone upon. Infants in war,
our troops are like seasoned giants
under arms, and their deeds suffer not
bv comparison with the magnificent
polus, who like DaXd of old feared not
the Philistine Of 4 Fin. and held him at
hav until the rest OF civilization came 10
slay the monster.
Truly. We can be proud of our soldiers
IN the field They have met every call.
They have fought 10 rout troops that were
regarded rs the hravest and most 'cf-
fcient fighters that ever set out TO tic
chains on the world American troops
have shown that they have vastly more
courage than the Hun; they have out
fought him. outgcncralcd him and ont
run him. he being IN the lead To ac-
complsh this last feat. however Yankee
ingenuity and initiative were called into
activity for the German foe in state Of
stampede attained such speed that il was
cutie impossible to keep in contact with
him. Here's where the initiative came
in play. To harrass the foe and exact
from him as the largest possible toll our
fighters commandecred automobiles and
made a gasoline pursuit with the result
that the Germans path was strc~n with
dead hoches
Berlin knows today that with America
millions in the field, with America i
billions of money and hundreds Of millions
OF tons Of supplies She Is beaten and i
down and out and must take the count.
The Kaiser doubtless has never pre-
viously held this view, but he can't
escape il now He Is military man
enough 10 read what the future has in
store for him in tho fighting OF the Ameri-
can soldiers in Lorraine lie can see
what less than q million men can do TO
his armies. and he then can multiply
that achievement by two and by four
and he Will discover how hopclessly the
cause az autocracy-of kultur-ls beaten
While he can read the handwriting Of the
fates he will be slow ~ accept the guld-
ance. but will continue his campaign Of
ruthless murder hopeful that dissensions
among the Allies or some such impossible
conditions may arise to save his empire
from dismemberment that hls people
may have another opportunity to capture
ard enslave the world, and bring all
Christendom under the rule OF the accurs-
ed, sacrilegious Hun.
But there will be no such shp-ups
and the future of the Hohenzollern gang
Of hooters and murderers IS just as Ger
tainly fixed as are the stars in the heavens.
But we must fight on and on-fght until
the white flag flies from the staff al Pots
dam-and this may be months in the
future
While we are sending more men 20
battle and watching with great pride
the fighting OF the First American Army,
We must keep within bounds our praise
and reserve some of our admiration for
our Allies. We cannot in justice 20 our
selves overlook the superb bravery Of
the French soldier possibly unapproach-
ed all things c0nsidered-in all war his
tory. When the story of this awful war is
al Oh ft,a4
other nation, no other people, no other |
soldiers have stood firm and fast, un-
daunted, undismayed, 50 long when He |
who guards and protects the faithful |
seemed to have deserted them. -Four !
wears, day and night, the French nation
has been on picket duty, with death and |
destruction everywhere about !
threatened with destruction by air bombs, |
and huge artillery shells and by the enemy, |
who for months was trying to break |
through her gates at any moment. Her !
richest country was in the hands Of the |
Hun, laid bare and barren her towns |
destroyed utterly her architectural and !
art treasures destroyed, ruined, despoiled. |
There seemed to be no hope Of escape
But the French people prayed to the
God above to spare their glorious land;
the men fought; the women toiled. Be |
hind the fervent supplication was every |
pound OF man and woman power in the |
republic, every thought was Of victory, |
for never ia the four years struggle did |
the French vow: They shall not pass,
lose q shade of It's patriotic significance
Such bravery, such loyalty, such love,
such confidence that there is a God who !
is always found on the side of right and
truth has never before boen demon /
strated by nation.