Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1918-07-17

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
by shell ERE and the systematic blowing o,t
OF the fronts of buildings on entire streets
IL was over this territory that the Germans
proposed to make their drive for Amiens
study Of the map will readily disclose their
purpose Their line about 40 miles east
OF that place. Amiens is an important rail-
way center, and TO capture that CITY would
enable the Germans to cut the British army
of the north off from the army of the south
and prevent communication between the army
OF the north and the French, Americans and
British south of the Somme
viewing the lines of defense, the cannon
howltzers, wire entangiements and trenches
OF the British, one would not think il posss-
Die for any human mind to exist SO cold
to attempt to push human flesh against steel
TO the extent required to break through. For
every gam there must be a price, there must
DC measurement of loss of life against
ground gained. Men of experience and sanity
can hg-re in advance to something of a GER
tainty as - what the cost will be- and no gen
eral in the British, French or American army
has been fOGnd reckless of human life SO
stepped in military heartlessness. as to be
Wiling 10 pay the price that Germany paid,
or willing 10 order the death of his own men
as Germany ordered in this drive.
History records that when Napoleon was
nearing his finish when il was regarded that
his mind becoming somewhat degenerate
ne speHt his military resource, the lives of
his men, with just such profigacy as was
shown by the Germans in the year 1918.
The Kaiser himself came to the western
front to make this battle his battle Intrigue
had won Russia, but intrigue could not fool
the British, or treachery touch them. So they
were made to feel the power of German wrath.
Miiitarism must prevail for Germany at all
eost; the rulers must make another showing
Whatever the loss in life to the men in the
ranks. who with their ancestors had had train
taking orders.
And SO on the TWEEN, y-first DIV of March
the blow was struck. ne British resoIute, de-
termIned, believing the could hold the line
the German generals striking with that mad
ton.
Hundreds of thousands of men had been
moved from the Russian front to help in the
struggle. Smoke were thrown IN tn
hide the movements from the observation bal
looms and airplanes; some of the screens had
been thrown up as early the week before
when we were there. The German guns cough
cd harder, louder and more often. The cough
ing and barking of guns and the whizzing of
shells made the din we heard the week before
seem like child's play. The Germans were
shooting over their own line of trenches into
the first line of British defense. That is the
method of starting an offefsive.
= The German men in their own trenches
had been dressed in new uniforms, had been
htade to drink rum and ether so that they
would be reckless and in a frame Of mind
10 face any ordeal The captains had NOT
been trusted with the information that they
were being marched to slaughter. At given
time they were to open written orders, and
at another given time the heavy guns were
to change their range from the first line of
british defense to the second, and it was
then that the Germans were to make the rush
frcm their trenches to the first line of the
British.
Then the Germans came in solid mass for
nation, the same formation that Napoleon
used in his last desperate struggles. Many
of the British had been killed in the barrage
grit.
AS that wave of Germans, a solid mass
came across the land between the British and
German trenches the heavy guns of the Brit
ish opened on them. They had but to fire.
They could not miss the enemy. The Germans
sank to their death by thousands before those
guns. But the war-mal managers behind
them had planned for just such slaughter
of their With the G-atii struggles
of the first wave of Germans, came second.
uniforms new, hearts beating fast and brains
born up with the stimulus of rum and ether.
They, too, went down before the terrific fire
The third wave of men came and third
wave of men died.
Thousands more came in the fourth wave,
and were piled dead above the bodies of their
comrades
So it went, wave after wave, the German
generals determined to make "the Kaisers
own battle" victory by wearing out the
British guns with German human flesh.
The British gunners actually became heart
s, y Win k ds the beings waS march
cruel generals. t
When the ninth wave of men had come and
died, the cannon in the first line of British
defense became so hot that they could not be
fired any The gunners took off the
breech locks and retired to the second line of
defense.
On came the tenth wave Of Germans. there
to meet the fate of the nine that had gone be-
fore. On came others. sacrifices to the will
of autocracy determined to fasten on the
rest Of the world the same miitarism that
made these subjects give up their lives.
But the German generals had more men to
BF.b '@ use snd fed fed them sD
more British gunners sickens5 by the
sight and fired more from duty than hatred
except such hatred that must arise in men
with red blood and hearts of human beings
for generals who will make such sacrifice
of human life.
So human flesh wore down more steel men
paid the toll with their lives until more Brit
ish guns became too hot to be fred. Wave
after wave and column after column persisted
before the defense after defense. Stalwart men
brought from the Russian front. old men
forced into service. mere boys in their teens,
gave up their lives 60 the god of war; mil
itarism showing off at its best and its
worst.
At terrible cost of life humaa beings
wore down the last line of British defense
and troops shattered and weary, but still
buOyed by remaining afforts of the stimHlants
bore TO the west, even past Albert, and
dangerously close to the coveted goal, Amiens.
And there they were when reached that
city on the fifth day Of the battle. the day of
great slaughter. the day on which it seemed
to many that they might succeed. but the
very day on which they stopped in the
oucn With the effects of the ether and rum
gone, weary and worn. the men who had pass
ed trench and cannon and entangiements
were brought to a halt, where there
entertainments. There they were held. held
until reinforcements could come, held by the
valient British until the brilliant French troops
could reach them.
Let us pause here for a thought. II the
German generals and the German military
party will sacrifice their own men as they
surely did sacrifice them to gain a point in
strategy, what would they do TO America and
our allies if they should gain a final victory
in the war? We should think of this when 1t
ii ant ~ he any
Hilary workers in their efforts to carry on the
struggle to right victory. to a right and
lasting peace.
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