The sun., 1918-07-23
GOURAUD PRAISES
US. COMMANDERS
Compliments. Americans on
"Great and Noble Part"
in Battle.
STOP FOE MORE QUICKLY
Allied Forces Gaining in Eff
fectiveness Against Ger
man Attacks.
Special Gable Despotch TO THE suS and the
Public Ledger.


Public Ledger.
Copyright, 1918: oil rights rsserrsd.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, July 22.-[;eneral Gouraud, the
French one EARNED hero who had such an
important part in the recent fighting. in
complimenting a number of American
commanders whose men had worked
shoulder to shoulder with the French
in stopping the German attack. said:
"Your troops, together with mine,
smashed the effort OF fifteen German
divisions, supported by ten others In re-
serve. According to orders we have
taken from German prisoners. the enemy
expected to reach Chaions that same
evening, and with the brave assistance
of the Americans we halted them. and
on ground Of our own choosing.
wish to compliment the American off,
GERS and men for the great and noble
part they filled in this battle"
A French General remarked to-day :
"The first German offensive this summer
was stopped In three weeks. the Sec
ond in seven days. third in Ave days
fourth in three days and the mad at
tempt east OF Rheims-the fifth German
ofrensive-was stopped by noon on the
day II started"
Artillery Fire Elective.
The General commanding the army
corps in which the Americans served on
a portion Of the Champagne front. in a
general order addressed to the Ameri-
cans, says:
BY your valor and spirit you par
ticularly distinguished yourselves July
10 in the course of a great battle where
one OF our armies in a single day broke
the German offensive on the Cham
payne front. I am proud to have you
under my orders and my prayers &C.
company you in the great struggle you
are engaged In for the liberty OF the
world
Another letter from a French General
to an American commander says: II
desire to express the admiration of
France for the courage and bravery of
which the American battalions have
given proof in hard fighting. and also
for the effectiveness OF their artillery
fire.
I'm this emergency the troops of the
United States largely aided their French
comrades In breaking repeated assaults
Of the enemy. The enemy counted on
taking Chalons within one day after
starting his offensive. but he reckoned
without the valor and bravery OF the
French and Americans, who told them.
with machine gun and rife FIRE. that
thew could not pass.
II am glad to note that in mingling
their blood on the battlefield to-day the
French and Americans are gloriously
continuing the glorious traditions OF the
two nations established a century and
a half ago. ] salute the noble flag Of
the United States in thinking of the
ultimate victory that will be ours"
Attacked Several Times.
What happened in the Champagne Of
feisive was that the Germans were
trapped and Melted as completely by
the French high command as salmon
are Melted. The American officers who
listened to the praise OF their French
comrades were not slow to return the
compliments. Said one of them:
Our orders from the French were
Fight 1t out where YOU are We did
our best. no more. Our success was due
in great part TO the unfailing good ad-
vice and suggestions we got from the
French. They know the ground. and II
was due to this superior knowledge OF
the exact battle confronting us that we
were able. with their help, to do as well
as we did.
AT some places the Germans came at
us seven or eight times. One Major of
the German intelligence bureau lost his
way and ran his automobile back OF tho
American lines. Confused, he stopped
an American private. who happened to
be Tom Reilly Of New York city, n
former New York University football
player and asked him: Are you a Ger
man.
Me" stammered Tom, almost chok-
ing. Me a German. Where do you get
that stuff? Ne German. That's rich :"
But our schedule called for the Ger
man army to be at this place went on
the intelligence officer. consulting his
map.
at then dawned on Tom that his
questioner was really a German. Where
upon he lost no time in hauling the
Major out of his car and proddng him
back with the other prisoners
One trench mortar battalion. COM
posed almost entirely of Baltimoreans,
remained six hours In gas shelled posi-
tons without having TO send one of
the number to the rear due to their
intelligent use OF gas masks.
Learned Plans From Prisoners.
the French and Americans had been
taking prisoners, These they gathered
In from many parts of the lines. and
from these they gained accurate in
formation just when the German at
tack would be launched, and were pre-
pared in consequence to meet il.
Our lines comprise three rows OF
trenches, about three kilometers apart.
The first are known as the hinterland
the next as the intermediate and the
others are barriers. Our men shared
with the French the intermediate po-
stions and held all the trenches on our
own front OF Ave kilometers.
When the Germans broke through the
hinterland they thought they had clear
sailing | nfront OF them and rushed for
ward to defeat, despite their massed ar
tiery and their reay excellent use Of
airplanes. They never passed the nj
termediate trenches on our part OF the
front. and were driven back with fright
full losses. From an observation poA
German dead were seen thickly strewn
over the ground for five miles.