The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-09-14

lSduqht behind the American lines anu
the work of moppins up the salient
is In progress.
| Il is now permissible to state that
the task Of ~'ipinu out the salient,
which had existed for four years, was
actually achieved In twsnty-seven
/ hours. The German defense was so
caved In that the Americans ad-
vanced hours ahead Of their time
table everywhere.
! The allies retain supremacy OF the
air, completely preventing German at
tempts to attack with machine guns
and bombs, the roads which are
heavy with traffic.
10000 PRISONERS.
| PARIS, Sept. 14.-(11:3o a. MY
1.-The French alone took 1000 prisoners
IN the St MihIei operations, includ
Ing 5000 Austrians, making total
Of more than 10000 prisoners taken
by the Americans and French, the
Echo De Paris announced today.
Hospitals Wore Ready.
tlBy Webb Miller, United Press Staff
/ Correspondent
PARIS, Sept. 1.-THE American
hospital organization in preparation
of the American offensive In the st.
Mihiel salient was practically perfect.
Anticipating the operation. the Red
Cross opened three new hospitals and
hundreds of surgeons and nurses were
rushed into the fighting zone few
hours before the attack. One of these
new hospitals contained 1000 beds,
another 1000 and the third had a
complement of 5000 beds.
A special corps of canteen workers
from the Red Cross spent the time
during the fighting carrying hot
drinks and cigarettes to the advance
iareas for the wounded doughboys who
twere going to the rear. Women
workers carried hot food to the long
lime Of slightly wounded men stand
ling at the hospitals. awaiting treat
Iment
The organiza ton had shipped ten
million cigarettes, thirty-fve carloads
iof dressing and forty-hye carloads OF
iother surgical material Into the zone
lof operations. The night before the
Americans went over the top every
hospital was In readiness. Every de-
tail OF preparations for the wounded
linen had been completed.
Iron Region In Peril.
LBy William Philip Simms, United
Press STAFF Correspondent
PARIS, Sept. At Is unquestion-
ed that Hindenburg expected the st.
Miehl attack. The Stra ssburg Post
announced several days ago that 1t
was imminent. Thus the American
success cannot be explained away as
a surprise even In Germany where
the public is insistently told the
Americans are worthless and that
nothing is to be feared from those
Barnums."
Wherever the Americans swept
forward. Il vas a case OF the better
man winning. It win be one Of Ger
Imany's most bitter pills that the Hun
higher command did not spare its
troops in the effort to halt the Amert-
leans and French Undoubtedly the
IGermans feared less for Metz than
for the Briey and Longwy ore basins
from which, with Luxembourg and the
ANNEXED portions Of Lorraine, nine
ltenths OF aermany's iron ore ts OBJ
ttained.
These districts give the enemy a
total of 10000, 900 tons Without
these mines they would have only
u ,0o0, 900 toms Lacking occupation
OF the Briey basin, Germany could
not have fought so long. Possession
of Biey, Longwy and Thionvflle Is
absolutely necessary to Germany IL
the Teutonic troops are to be kept In
the field. If any of these districts
lare placed under allied gun fire, Ger
many will be crippled by just that
much.
For this reason, they madly flung
troops into the breach In an effort
l.. of In
the direction of their cherished mine
! fields.
Foch's first objective In the Ameri-
can offensive was apparently only the
Ipinching off of the salient. Beyond
the base of this pocket there is very
powerfully defended country-line
after line Of trenches and beyond
that. ring upon ring Of Notifications,
all about Metz Foch knows his
game and the allies know he will play
lit masterfully.
Inspected by Foch.
PARIS. Sept 14.-Before the
Americans launched their attack at
1.-THE st. Mihiel salient, they were fir
lspected by Marshal Foch, it was
: Learned today He enthusiastically
approved the steps that had been
taken in preparation for the blow.
Fifteen Thousand Prisoners.
LONDON, Sept. 14.-G:06 p. MI
Americans in the St Mihiel battle
have taken $1,000 prisoners, advices
, from the front said today. More
prisoners are expected, as the terri
tory won by the Americans is not yet
cleared OF all Germans who were
: caught in the pocket
German Report on Battle.
AMSTERDAM, Sept. IA semi
official statement issued in Berlin re-
gardfng the st. Mihiel battle de
, clares:
Enemy attacks which gained
ground in the direction of Thiaucour.,
until the counter attacks checked
.