The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1918-07-06
YANKEE TROOPS
WIN HIGH PRAISE
french and British Impressed by
Splendid Enterprise and
Initiation.
HEROIC DEEDS ARE PREDICTED
General Says American Spirit at
Critical Moment Served to Main.
tain Morale of French at
Chateau Thierry.

London.-The behavior Of the
American troops at Chateau Thierry
has demonstrated more than anything
that has happened on the American
front the splendid initiative and en-
terprise with which the American ar
my is endowed, and nothing has
aroused the keener enthusiasm of the
commander, says the Daily Mail cor
respondent with the American army
in France.
He quotes ar unnamed French gen
eral as saying that the American spir-
1t and enterprise at a critical moment
served to maintain the morale of the
French troops around Chateau Thier-
ry.
Among the incidents of the engage
ment the correspondent mentions Is
the steadiness and persistence of the
American machine gun fire in the
streets of Chateau Thierry. Company
after company Of the enemy marching
four abreast, repeatedly tried to ad-
vance, but recoiled sorely shattered
before the fire of the American gun
ners. The streets were strewn with
German dead and wounded and the
American officers estimate they in
ficted at least 1000 casualties.
Predicts Heroic Deeds.
When a bridge across the Marine
was blown up, the correspondent adds,
the Americans were left on the north
ern bank with the enemy in front of
them and the river at their backs. Car
rying their guns, the Americans de-
scended to the lower banks of the riv-
er, and under enemy machine gun and
artillery fire succeeded In reaching the
next bridge.
The correspondent predicts that
much will be heard Of the deeds Of
the Americans in the next few days,
and adds:
american troops fresh from the
United States continue to arrive with
regularity and in numbers more than
sufficient to justify renewed conf
dence In the ultimate triumph of the
entente. The Americans at this mo-
ment are distributed over a very wide
front.
SIN some sectors entire American
divisions form one unit, holding a
certain extent of line, while else
where they are b%rigaded with French
and British regiments. In the Lune-
vile and Toul sectors the Americans
hold very difficult salients-in the
Toul sector completely dominated by
the German artillery on Montsec. The
Germans recently have been drench-
ing these positions with gas, but the
Americans stood firm and won the
ready appreciation of all observers"
The spirit and morale of the Ameri-
can soldiers wounded in the Cantigny
battle, 80 per cent of whom will re-
cover, is wonderful. The first ques-
ton they ask the surgeon Is:
doc, when will I be able to go
back after the Germans who fixed
meT"
Two young privates were waiting
their turn to enter the operating-room
of a large American hospital in Paris.
One said:
"I have been over the top three
times, and 1t is the greatest sport I
ever had. Fix me up quick because
I want to go back after the Boches
again."
The second soldier, who had a seri-
Gus wound In the thigh, said:
eff l do not return to the trenches
I have the satisfaction of knowing
that I fixed three-two bayoneted and
n shot. I am satisfied"
The soldier probably will recover,
but he will never cross bayonets with
the Germans again, as he will lose
his leg.
Show Great Daring.
Many American officers and privates
showed great daring and fortitude IN
w~ithstanding the German attacks
along the Marine at Chateau Thierry
and Jaulgonne.
Capt. John r. M~endenhall of New
Rochelle, N. Y, went without sleep for
three days and remained steadily at
the head of his company during that
time.
Corp. Jules Mangold of Mcdonald,
Pa, was sent out to investigate Ger
man snipers under a heavy fire from
the American line. He found the
snipers, pointed them out to his COM
rades and the Germans fired no more.
Capt. George Wakerine, the French
linison officer with the American unit,
stood by the Americans in the thick of
the fight, encouraging and cheering
them. The Americans, he said, show
ed most wonderful fighting spirit and
were jolly, even laughing and Joking
while a perfect hell ragged around