The Robesonian., 1918-11-21
$50, 900 AMERICANS FOUGHT
IN DECIDING BATTLE
21 American Divisions Participated in
Battle That Brought Germany to
Her Knees and Ended Worlds
BlOOdiest and COstliest War.

Battle That Brought Germany to
Her Knees and Ended World S
BIoOdiest and Costliest War.
Paris, Nov. 17.-(By Associated
Press. Out of the confusidl and
daze of the crowding military events
on the western battle line since late
in September, when battle followed
battle until from Flanders to Yer
dun there was ceaseless action, 1T is
now permissible to outline to GER
tain extent the part played by the
American armies in the final decisive
battle of the war, which ended with
the armistice of last Monday.
Military reasons heretofore have
prevented accentuating the accomp-
iishments of the Americans except in
a most general manner. The dis
patches from the field have been nee
essarily fragmentary and possibly
were overshadowed by the accounts
of the more dramatic operations over
the histc~ic battle fronts to the west.
u l. visions Participated.
But il Iow may be stated that FL
America r..i:vis;cs. totalling more
particir: ted in t'7e q on beginning
O6pCtIlLtt .. Si.OW1l NCI -Ouoly cho oAAS
Battle c. - A-~c:ne aid the Battle
of the =. euse., ~; v'hicA H. 5ory may
call Sec; Me battle that brought
German to Ler knees ID . 5 far as
human fore sig goes ended the
worlds bloodiesC and costliest war.
In order to understand the military
situation which made the Argonne op-
erations the crux of the war, it is
necessary ogo back to the reduction
of the St. Mihiel salient in the middle
of September. This brilliant Ameri-
can accomplishment is still fresh in
history. It cut off at one stroke a
menacing projection toward Verdun
and weakened the enemy's defensive
by threatening Metz, one of Ger
way centers for distributing troops
and supplies along the Montmedy-se-
dan line.
Metz also was the pivot on which
the enemy swung through Belgium
into France and therefore obviously 1T
was the pivot on which his retirement
must hinge. The Argonne, the next
step below here, threatened the great
railway arteries running westward
from Metz.
Broaden Policy Of General Attack:
With the co\1clusion of the st:
Mihiel action, the steady inflow OF
American forces caused dlsplace-
ment of power as between the allied
and German armies. Thus 1T no
longer was necessary to pursue pol
icy of reducing a salient or nlbbllng
at it. The American troops had shown
what they could do.
A broader policy of general attack
along the entire line was then adopted
and the high command called upon
General Pershing to take the Argon-
i.s c.Jr, ,.d...itt5 5d!y one Of tie most,
if not entirely the most difficult OF
the whole front. The broken terrain,
the topography and the lack OF roads
made a problem difficult to describe:
Germany ha din four years fortified
it to the last degree of military skill,
with superb roads, both rail and mo-
tor, connectingi up to the rear posi-
tions and bases.
The outstanding feature of the Ar
gonne forest is a long chain of hills
running north and south, covered with
a dense growth of trees and under
growth, making a nadvance difficult
and offering superb defensive quail
ties. Virtually no roads exist in the
forest except for a few transversal
passes running east and west. The
soil is such that the least rain con-
verts it into slippery, miry mess. In
other words the physical condition is
such that the line of attack for an
advancing army is limited to valleys,
chief among which is that of the
Aire river.
"Our Life Artery"
From the edge of the forest, where
the resistance was viciously strong,
the enemy possessed innumerable
thanking positions. But beyond this
difficult region lay the Montmedy-
Sedan line, which was recently cap
tured. A German order described it
one half of the German rail supply
on the western front. 1t meant death
if cut.
The high command told Pershing to
cut it. The American first army was
put in motion from St. Mihiel. In
nine days it was on the Argonne line
ready for an attempt, the failure OF
which might mean disaster and the
success of which would give untold
results.
InlS quick movement O1 al eHoI-
nous body of men, the establishment
of new line of supply and all the
complicated military preparations, was
regarded with pride by the Ameri-
can commanders.
The Americans knew what confront
ed them. They realized that this was
no second St. Mihiel, but an enterprise
at which other armies had baked fol
four years. They knew that there was
to be fought fight to rank with the
first battle Of the Marne, and Verdun
with the Sor1me and the Cnemin des
DANES; and they knew that on them