Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-04-08
AMERICAS SHARE

Occasionally there is sounded a little note of resent
ment at the inconspicuous place given the American
troops in the news dispatches telling oSsthc great battles
now in progress in France. I'VE are told of what the
French are doing" say the critics, "and of what the
British are doing, but what about our own boys? Why
don't we hear something about them"
For specific information on this subject the objec-
tors are respectfully referred to General pcrshing, COM
ssnander of the American armies i'll France. General
.Pershing is in charge of, the whole job across the water,
land what he says goes, When he gives permission for
facts to be published they are published, and when he
sssSorders silence, silence it is. Pcrshing is an old soldier.
presumably he knows his business. And so long as he
sls in command, his orders are to be obeyed.
AS to the reasons why the troops Of the United States
OCCUPY only a minor position in the news dispatches thus
@far, aside from the very easily understood desire of the
@scommanding officer to make it as difficult as possible
esSsfor the enemy to learn what disposition is being made
sssspf the American troops, the fact is that as yet American
TROOPS have played only a minor part in the great strug-
ssgle. We have, presumably, somewhere in the neighbour
sshood of half Il million men in France. In any other war
-rtn which VIC have been engaged that would have been
Ia large army. Under the conditions Of warfare in Eu-
ss..srope, where armies are numbered by millions rather
than by thousands, our half million men make but a
Handful. Germany has had more than half that many men
t@knled in the past tlnoe weeks on a front of fifty miles.
sand her losses have not prevented her from pressing
forward, and striking tremendous blows. OF our troops
sAabroad, some are at the front, some are in training camps,
.s@ssand some are on t1tcir way to forward positions where
ss#they. can be useful. 1t is doubtful If we have 100,o 900
s@men on the actual battle front, and we have three or
ssSfour bits Of line, a few miles in length. where the fight
ling thus far has been confined to trench raids and minor
sssskirnishes. Probably some rather large bodies Of Amer
ssssicans have by this time Joined the British and French
ssasforces in Picardy to prepare for the counter stroke
* which is expected. or to stiffen the resistance to the
German advance, but except in isolated cases there has
sSs been no opportunity for these men to get into action.
W. There need be no fear that whenever and wherever
-FOUR men have been called into action that they have not
--sssiven a proper account OF themselves. Small bodies Of them
n have been engaged in many a bloody contest, and always
they have done what the American people expected
that they would do. And We may be assured that when
the authorities think it proper they will release for pub
lcatio1 stories of the heroic work Of the American SOL
diers which will thrill their friends at hoE.e. But for
Y the present we must remember that thus far the work
Of the United States has been a work of preparation, and
that preparatory work will continue for some time.