davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17
r ike a Steamer IS
IL Water-tight Compartments

This line of intrenchments which the
Allies faced was the first Of four sep
arate lines constituting the major cir
cumstances of German defence. But be-
tween these four lines, stretching in the
main from west to east, were a number
of other lines running north and south,
dividing the front into compartments
comparable in all respects to the water
tight compartments of steamer and
having the same purpose. Thus, if the
first or second line were penetrated in
some sector, the dislocaton would not
communicate itself on either side, because
it was localized by the north and south
trench systems and by the rearward par
ailel line.
The salient features of these defence
systems were the fortified areas about
Lille and Metz. Those were the anchor
ages which held the great cablelike
trench systems stretched across from
Flanders to German Lorraine. All four
Of the systems rested upon the Metz
circle Of forts; MI four at their other
extremity rested upon Lille but there was
this difference, that, while the fall of
Metz would have been fatal to all four
lines, the third and fourth lines on their
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17
THE Defence Foch Broke in
l. Ten Weeks

When in the opening days of septem-
Der I.udendorff, retiring from his de-
feats at the Marne in July and at the
Somme in August, arrived at the Hinden-
burg line, he took his position in the most
intricate and elaborate system of defen-
sive works ever fashioned by the ingenu-
ity of man. He believed them to be i'm
pregnable, but whatever doubt may have
existed in any German mind as to the
capacity of the defence systems for
permanent resistance, nothing seemed less
likely than that in the ten weeks of cam
paigning weather which remained Foch
could force or turn these works.
In the present article I purpose in
some detail to describe this German de-
fence system, the fruit of four years of
labor, manned by more than 100000
veteran troops, provided with every
known contrivance of war, fashioned on
the experience Of the greatest contest in
human history, the line, or series of lines,
which was shattered between September
26, when Foch opened the battle by
throwing Pershing's troops in north of
Verdun, and the first days of November,
when the British success at Valenciennes
penetrated the last detail of the final line
Of defence in France.
AS Foch faced the problem in Septem-
Der it was this: From the Belgian coast
at Nieuport to the Swiss frontier there
existed continuous line of defences,
which corresponded in the main to the
lines to which the Germans had retired
in 1917 and from which they had started
on their colossal sortie in March of the
present year. Of this extent of front
only that portion west of Metz needs de-
scription now, since, aside from the brief
preliminary operation at st. Mihiel, it was
not affected by the September and Oc-
tober operations.
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17

returned to the opening days of the war
and undertook to succeed where Moltke
had failed. His first blow, on March 21.
was one OF the finest pieces of military
mechanics in the history of war. 1t
came mighty near to winning the CONT
mental phase of the conflict. It failed
because the human machine was not
equal to the task set for it. By the end
OF week the great, victorious army was
out of breath, out of ammunition; it had
outrun its guns, and, once more, as at
Verdun, there was just time for French
troops to arrive. Beaten as they were.
the British had managed to hold on. as
the French had at Verdun, until aid
could come.
BY April l Ludendorff's great gamble
had failed, in the midst of success. A
week later, after a futile attack before
Arras, he tried new venture in the
north with such reserves as remained to
nm. Again he succeeded at the start.
seemed to be on the open road to the
Nhannei, and then was halted west of
hemmel IN the last days of April, when
another French army arrived to support
the British, who had fought magnifi-
Gently and had suffered no such disaster
as had overwhelmed Coughs Fifth Army.
by May l Ludendorff was at the end of
his resources. He could do no more, and
for whole month he gave his enemy
a respite while he prepared new blow.
The new blow was again a brilliant
success. 1t swept over the Chemin des
Danes, across the Vesle, the Ourcq and
reached the Marne. But again it ex-
hausted itself Moreover, an effort to
extend the dislocation by thrust west
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17
THE LINES THAT DIDN'T HOLD

of the German out of all Of his first
line between the Disc and the Aisne, in
cluding st. Gobain Forest and the CITY
of Laon.
About the middle of October. then, the
German position was this: His first and
second lines were gone between the
Lys and the sea and his third line was
going rapidly, as the British were astride
the Lys north Of Lille. This doomed
one Of the two great anchorages of his
defence system. He was now bound to
retire to his last line, that of the Scheldt.
all the way from the Dutch frontier
near Client to the point where the Ecail
Ion River falls into the Scheldt, south Of
Vaenciennes. From this point he could
still use his third line between the
Scheldt and the Sambre Canal. East
Of the Sambre Canal he could use his
second line all the way. So far his
switch lines had aided him in localizinp
the disaster
We had, then, in the third week of
October the rapid retreat of the Ger
mans behind the Scheldt, with the evacu
alton of the Belgian seacoast, of the
cities of Lille, Roubaix, Tourcoing,
Douai. After this the line tended to
stabilize itself, with the Americans still
fighting doggedly toward the second line
between the Meuse and the Arponne.
Gouraud held up west Of the Americans
and south of the Aisne, Berthelot's
army, now commanded by Guillemat.
checked before the Sissonne drainage
canal, Mangin's army unable to get
across the Serre, and Debeney's army
still halted on the west bank of the
Disc.
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17
THE Fifth Act Ends
ID Triumphantly

What Napoleonic campaign can d.
hereafter reckoned to surpass that '.
Foch as merely military achievement
British, French, American. Italian, be'
gian troops, all perfectly controlled Ds .
single hand, all used with exact coordnS
ton, all made to contribute to the uslsi'
most of their possibilities, and-in isss g
than four months-supreme victory ~
smashing of the German machine ~
German army plucked bodily from =
vast defences and flung out OF fISps
On the military side, had any drafnAs~.
so fine fifth act as this the fifth GU
paign of the World War? =
And as the struggle ends, wy
America have a just right to recan e'sS =,
pride that our own young army has w.
the final reserve of civilization huhs :, y
the decisive battlefield, still unreaos., -.
rising to supreme heights, to unpsDs -.
able achievement, to final success II =
face of obstacles which cannot even :
be understood
Before the achievements, OF fisI, 80.
and British soldiers. on the sas'e' Nv, -
we shall forever stand in awe Sn' IA
miration The long agony that pre- ...r
the dawn of victory was borne Ds ..,;,y m
with steady courage and an an'a'. ..r
devotion which make all praise
feeble and foolish. n
But if we came late, we es'rs .,sa
time. If our contribution waS a
by comparison with that of franss ANON.
Britain, it was the contribution W.. o,r
which victory was impossible ''.' ,-,,,s.
soldiers who spent their blood gs''ss g,s..s !
ly from st. Mihicl to Sedan p'a' anal
large and honorable role IN u''
success.
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17

of the Disc was promptly be.+ou
in June, and we had, first sion - s'sa
approach of dawn, French copn,as rs .
tack, brief, relatively inconsjder.h,s a.
successful and the promise of much s' = po'
to come. Again Ludendorff mus s'0a s
must refit his army. 1t is July Is bossa' W.
he can attack again. He has boa- '0'e
week less than four months on the ,oas "as
to Paris. His hour has passed sna 'Osd
swift blow by Mangin ends the c. .,s vac
offensive; the Second Battle '''sa ~ !.
Marine closes the German pbaso ae sae
campaign of 1918. 'ae
Now comes the new method. Frs. :. :.
July Is, the Mangin blow that u;a. s' !. N
Second Marine. Then the Pam,, 'He
thrust out in Artois, on August s '0,l sOd
successive days, which wins tba M: auu !
Somme. The armies all the NOV 4.'i'u 90
the Vesle to the scarpe link m 1,s.,l m;.
one another and in turn and in eoSra;.' a..'
ton strike, not a colossal blow h..
series of blows. Sector after sector ..s .
the German front becomes dislocatad. :. :
local collapse becomes a general oso;,
tion. BY the first days of Seutsmhs. l's
we have the whole German front ssss
Ypres right down to Rheims in nav sa
ment, in movement backward. Re- y.
last week in September the Germ., ~ );
back where he started from six month,
before. 1t has taken two months n ~.
him back, starting from ground c,;ass
by him in four months.
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17
The Zone From La Bassee
l. Southwark

This system was by all odds the
strongest of the four. From La Bassee
southwark it was not a line but zone.
twelve miles deep, organized in the most
elaborate conceivable fashion, following
number of canals and rivers, thus gain
ing the inestimable advantage of water
barrier, limiting the peril from tanks.
This deep zone extended to the Disc
south of st. Quentin and thence to the
Aisne, above Scissors, the Aisne and the
st. Gobain Forest supplying obstacles
which were impregnable to direct at
tack.
Behind this first line the second ran at
a distance so small in many instances as
to make it indistinguishable from the
first. 1t stretched from Lille behind La
Bassee and Lens, before Douai and be-
hind Cambria and St. Quentin. borrowed
the Disc trace as far as La Fere. but
then ran east, north of Laon. behind the
Serre and the Sissonne Canal, reaching
the Aisne at Chateau Porcien and follow
ing its north bank around to Vouziers.
whence it cut across the upper end of
the Argonne to the Meuse above Dun.
east of the Meuse it reioined the Metz
defences, passing by Etain and Conf1ans.
The third line also rested upon Lille
followed the Douai Canal southwark
through Douai and thence followed the
Scarpe to the Scheldt Between the
Scheldt and the Sambre it rested upon
the Ecaillon River and the Normal For
est. From the Sambre near Landrecies
1t crossed via Hirson to the Meuse at
Mezieres, followed the east bank of that
stream to Sedan, which was covered bv
defences on the west bank, and then ran
along the valley Of the Chiers, through
Montmedy, to the Metz system near Con-
fans But this third line rested upon
the Scheldt River, south Of Valenciennes
and was thus serviceable from the
Scheidt to Metz, even if Lille were taken.
The fourth system ran due east from
Valenclennes, through Maubeuge to the
Meuse at Givet, thence behind the
Meuse to point of juncture with the
third line at Mezieres; thence eastward
II conceded with the third line Like
the third line, it was serviceable after
the fall of Lille. Thus in the case of
both the third and fourth lines two
thirds of their extent were covered bv
the water barriers of the Scheldt and
the Meuse rivers.
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17

between the Disc and the Meuse would
have to be evacuated and the Germans
could stand only temporarily behind their
third line from the Sambre to the Meuse
and thence to Metz. They would have to
quit all of France, save a narrow belt
along the frontier, and they could no
longer use the Metz-Mezieres- -Maubeuge
railway
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17
Eoch's Methodical Exploitation
IL of His First Success

Turning now to the fashion in which
Foch solved his problem, we see that on
September 26 he threw Pershing and
Gouraud against that portion of the first
German lines between the Suippes and
the Meuse; that is, between the Cham
pagne plain east of Rheims and Verdun.
This operation, Immediately successful to
marked degree, resulted in the eventual
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17

"NHE decisive phase of the last bat
tie of the World War opened on
Ia October 8, when Foch threw
three British armies against the
Hindenburg line between Cambria and
st. Quentin. Exactly five weeks later
tAe Germans had surrendered, their ar
mics already expelled from France and
driven from their last organized system
of defences. At the moment of victory
the British armies were in and about
Mons, where they had opened the war,
French troops had occupied Sedan, and
American armies were rolling the Ger
mans back along the Verdun front tow
ard Metz and Thionville. And as a final
circumstance, Belgian troops were ap-
preaching Antwerp and within a days
march of Brussels
To complete the narrative of the mill
tsry events Of the war, continued for so
many months in these articles, it is
necessary now to review in some detail
the circumstances Of this last battle, the
greatest Of all the battles in this the
most tremendous of all wars, a battle
whose consequences must hereafter
stand with those of Waterloo as mark
ing the overthrow of q great military
power which threatened the liberty and
the existence of the free nations of the
world
Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-10-02
Americans Move Forward
Over One of Most Hotly
Contested Battle Fronts

With the American Army in
France, Oct. TT was reported late
tonight that the Americans on the
front between the Mouse and the Ar
gonne had again moved forward over
N Of the most hotly contested sec
Of their advance, the ground
north and west of M~ontfaucon.
The situation on the American
front along the Brieulle-B inarville
line drumming from the ae.se
through the Argonne) remained vir-
'tually unchanged today from yester-
day. It is still evident that the. Ger
mans estimate fully the nature Of
the American effort and are hurry
ing up an available reserves. This
is true not only of the enemy artil-
lery and infantry but also Of the arr
forces. During the day German air
planes began appearing " the
American lines. the assumption being
that these machines had been with
drawn. from other fronts in an effort
to minimize the American supremacy
|pf the last few days.
Had weather.
The weather conditions wore far
fro mfayorable for the air1nen. 30
that little could be accomplished. II
anything the American aviators. with
characteristic enterprise. ore than
held the upper hand.
During the day the chief activity
Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-10-02
Ni,nisterial Changes.

Amsterdam, Oct. 2.-Plans arc un-
der consideration for the reorgantza-
ton OF both the imperial German. and
Prussian Industries on the lines Of a
parliamentary system. according to
they Berlin 1agEeblatt, which quotes
Friedrich Won Payer, the imperial
vice chancellor, t. mis- effect
The vice chancellor, the newspaper
say received the leaders OF all the
parties yesterday and discussed the
contemplated Observation-Disclosures.
which the vice chancellor declared
would extend to tho Prussian as we'll
as to the imperial ministry. He alSo
said that tho abroga4ion of portions
of articles TX Nand XXI Of the con-
stitution must BE taken in hand. -
scon as possible,
The representatives Of the right OF
the Independent Socialists and or the
Poles, the Tagleplatt states, have re-
fused to co-opertte# in the formation
of Z coalition gosernment.
Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-10-02

of the Americans was in holding and
consolidating their positions in the
face Of heavy counter attacks espe-
ctally on the debatable ground north
and west Of Montfaucon. In the heav-
lily wooded ground of the Argonne
west of the forest itself, the fighting
became reduced to mere bushwack-
ing tactics. This is a form of war
fare in which the Americans with
their individual initiative are second
to zone. Thus although numerous
small bodies of Germans infiltrated
through the lines toward the Ameri-
can rear the Americans were easily
able to take car Of them.
J To what extent the Germans have
been compelled by the turn Of the
events to change their plans. is
shown by a battalion order just cap
tured 1t say tersely: The troops
are reminded that our present posi-
ton Is our winter position"
The regiment at the time this die
tum vas issued was In the line below
Cambria. There seems to have been
8 general juggling Of the German
forces.
Numerous observers have reported
q general movement especially across
the Meuse westward from Brieulles.
Its direction is along the river to-
ward the north andSthen toward the
apex OF the American hne:
Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-10-02
NEED DOCTORS
AND NURSES TO
CHECK DISEASE
Massachusetts Health Heads
on condition in
Capital is Serious.

Boston, Mass, Oct. 2.-with the In
fluenza epidemic spreading in various
sections of Massachusetts,, state health
authorities today renewed efforts to
obtain physicians and nurses to meet
the heavy demands for help from
many cities and towns.
Conditions in Lawrence. Lowell and
Hayerhill. were reported to be serious.
The situation in Boston was con-
sidered improved though the death
rate continued high.
Washington, Oct. 2.-Three thou
sand teachers and school children
were dismissed from attendance here
today for observation Of preliminary
symptoms of Spanish influenza.
The malady Is continuing to spread
throughout the capital. All hospitals
are filled and short Of doctors and
nurses.
The board OF health today ordered
that street cars should be operated
with all windows opened. A new, in
spection of lunch, rooms and soda
fountains was ordered.
FLEh-N+ -hL
Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-10-02
Armies in Archangel
Make Great Advance;;U u. S..
Troops Occupy Shenkursk
Archangea, Monday. Sent. 80
Tho A,ron>n%D1 D~o~u\ -

= H As r.- rI-...i
Archnngd, Monday. Sent. 80
-(By the Assoc.ated Press(.-
American, British, Russian ana
French troops today occupy viii
lagos on both banks of the Dvina
river to q point 1875 miles north
Of Kotlas, in the government of
Vologda. They have advanced
IS miles in the hast two weeks
and. they now are about 375 miles
southeast of Archangel. The
river Is blocked further south
by Bolshevik mines and barge,
which have ben sunk in tn cham
mel.
Up the Vega river, however,
progress Is unObstructed and
Americans are among the forces
occupying the important town Of
Shenkurk.
In their advance up the Dvina
the land forces have met with
virtually no resistance since
September Fl when the Amen-
cans were subjected to heavy
machine gun fire for five hours
at Se1tsko.
Notwithstanding losses, they
held their unsheltered position
until the river fleet came to their
aid. The Americans then cap
tured the town.
Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-10-02

Since then it has been a case
of finding tho Bolsheyiki VINO
are believed to be somewhere
above tho closed channel Of the
Dvina. The thin line of Ameri-
can troops Is holding many vii
lagos amid the woods and muddy
rye fields which thickly dot the
Dv1na region.
North OF Beresneskaya, which
is near tho confluence of the
Dvina and Vega rivers. villages
had not been moltcd by the
Bolshev1ki in their flight from
Archangel. They fled so fast
that they did not stop anywhere
until the Moscow authorities
halted them at Beresneskaya
with an imperative demand to
make q stand. Villages south
of that point suffered heavily.
Executions and depredations
were committed there and when
the Allies arrived they were Civ
en- q hearty welcome.
The BolsheviH took from
Archangel the best fast Missis-
sippi river type of passenger
boats, leaving the Allies an odd
collection of craft which is do
ing splendid service against the
faster vessels in command of the
enemy.
Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-10-02
G. RMANY'S cAMBRA-ST. QUENTIN Line
OF DEFENSE BRokEN BY ENGLISH ARMY
Ottoman Troops Surrender Damascus to General Allenby's Forces
OFFICIAL WAR REPORTS

.#tt BRITISH. #|#. r Ill.,
tween st. Quentin and LIE cablet by Field Marshal Haiga forces: The
British commander reported today the breaking Of the German line on
the Fonsommes-B eaurevoir front. (Beaurevor is 2 12 miles east Of
LIE Catelet and Fonsommes is nearly five miles northeast Of 81. Quentn)
Sequehart, 4 12 miles southeast Of Belhcourt, has been captured,
as has the hamlet of Presenes, just to the north. 9 aH
South of Cambria British and Scottish troops, together with New
zealanders, have occupied Crevecoeur and Rumily.
ton Of Hooglede and Rouers and the British have seized Ledeghem
on the Roulers-Menin railway, according to the Belgian official state
men issued last night. A British detachment. the statement say has
crossed h Lys between Wervicq Confines. F# .w.
The text OF the statement reads: III @-- %@E@ 4
earlier part Of the day day, the Sea s2nd division = successfully ue ssfmy attacked the
center Of the German defensive line which ron Fonsommes to
the neighborhood Of Beaurevoir. n 1'
THE village of sequehart and the hamlet # Preselles were cap
tured and the Fonsommes-Beaurevoir line preached.
North of this point, Joncourt "a cleared Of the enemy and the
Australians completed the capture Of the enemys defenses south of
LIE Catelet and Gouy. t1t .. #&
I'm the sector south Of Cambria a fierce struggle all day was
terminated by a uccessful attack at dusk, a a result Of which New
and Rumnly. and established themselves on the high ground asst and
north of those villages.
tons" #
Paris, Tuesday. oct: 1.-THE Allied forces in Macedonia continued
office statement # tonight m on the west entered the town of
serbians occupied the heights of Gradhhte and Flavtse, between Uskub
and the Bulgarian frontier. e#E.E. H+#l
In the region Of Lakes Presba and ochrida, on the serbian-Al-
Alice pressure .
Paris. Oct. 2-Ieavy fighting took place in St Quentin last night.
Of the canal, according to the French wa Office statement today.
: West and north Of Rheims the French have made further impor-
Northwest of Rheims the French have taken Pouilon and Thi and
have reached the southern outskirts of Understandings. North of
Betheny :9. He
There was n o change in the Champagne during the night.
Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-10-02
Iiborty Rona
AGREE TO MINIMUM
AND MAXIMUM RETAIL
PRICE FOR SHOES

Washington. Oct. Maximum and
minimum retail prices for shoes as
agreed to by the industry and rang
ing from s. to $12 for men and wom-
industries board. Shoes arc grouped
In three classes a. follows:
Claas A from 50 to $1z:s ClaA a
So to 1850; Glass G s. to $3.50.
Proportionate prices will be fixed
for youths and children's fOotWoAF.
The cutting Of shoes under thts
schedule begins October IL and time
10 allowed retailers TO dispose al. pres
scribed to by committees repfoseut-
ing manufactursrA jobbers and -
Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-10-02
Sensation In Vienna.

Amsterdam, Oct saturdays
Vienna newspapers which have
reached here describe the tremen-
dous sensation caused in the Austrian
capital by the Bulgarian collapse.
Rumors spread with 'lightning-li like
rapidity that Turkey had followed
suit, that King Ferdinand had alb
dicated, that his palace had been
blown up and that a revolution had
broken out in Bulgaria.
These inc were promptly de-
MED but the impression remained
that Bulgaria's secession had admin
istered a ~rave blow to the dual
monarchy. fEqt
Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-10-02
Ann-G German Riots.

Paris, Oct. 2.-Anti-G German and
Pacifist riots are in progress through
out Bulgaria, according to a Zurich
dispatch to the Journal. It is added
that rumors are current Of the for
nation OF q national cabinet in Bull
garia under the leadership Of Pres
mier Malinoff and DR.. Ghenadieff. re-
leased from prison a few days ago
under a pardon by King Ferdinand.
Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-10-02

winnipeg. Man. Oct. 7.-Johnsoni
and Sullivan, who killed Constable;
6nOWden IN 4 store lastsApril, were
executed 1t sunrise this morning
Thsrs ~ NJ hitch pm the sscAnold. /