davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-09-20
CANTEEN OPENED BY Y. NJ. c. A. HEADS
IN CHATEAU THIERRY "a HOURS AFTER
GERMAN FIGHTERS HAD EVACUATED

limited transport, and that expe-
rience had shown the boys would
want.
The other room was cleaned out
for the headquarters and office Of
the divisional secretary. He set up
his collapsible cot here, and here
he will sleep until he moves on with
a victorious army. Other rooms
upstairs were cleaned out and here
the staff set up their cots and
spread their blanket rolls.
1t was all done hastily, at high
speed. Men who had been promi-
nent ministers back home scrubbed
floors. A banker was hosting huge
cases out of the depths OF truck.
Every man got down to hard man
ual labor-labor he has become ac
customed to by months of Y. NJ,
c. A work in France-and IN a few
hours the old hOuse was ready for
business, and its doors were thrown
open.
In piled the boys, as they al
ways pile in when the red tragic
is exhibited over a door. A few
came first and looked around. More
turned up and more and more. In
an hour the writing room was
jammed to capacity. NThe piano was
working with might and main while
the boys surrounding it bawled ia
miliar songs and popular airs. Out
in the garden a dozen had found
the pool and the fountain and were
doing their family washing, or else,
stripped, were splashing about in
the water, enjoying the first bath
they had had for weeks.
The canteen opened. Immedi-
ateIy a line formed and that line
continued from that hour until the
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-09-20
HUNDREDS APPLY
DAILY TO ENTER
COURSE OFFERED
Especial to The Argus).


Crbana, IlL-Illinois young men
Of draft age are rising in unprece-
dented numbers TO take advantage
Of the opportunity to combine col
Iege instruction with military train
ing. Judging from requests for in
formation that are flooding the reg
{strar-s Office at the University OF
Illinois. Il Is estimated that near
II 1000 letters from prospective
students and their parents arrive
here daily since the announcement
Of the establishment OF the stu
dents army training corps in col
leEes and universities as a part of
the plan to train a new American
army for service overseas
The present quota for the Uni
versity Of Illinois has been set at
5000 Students will be received in
order Of their permits TO register as
established by the date on their
cards The university opens Mon
day. Sept 80 There will be no ad-
vance registration.
Contracts for the reconstructton
Of the arm0ry 10 take care Of the
incoming student soldiers have been
let ana boarding and fraternity
houses. accepted as barracks. are
undergoing necessary alterations.
Women students are to be admit
ted as usual The specialized war
courses given last year viii doubt
less draw 2 larger enrolment OF
women because Of the presence Of
the military post at the university.
BY action Of the university sen
ate. any graduate Of an accredited
high school may. during the school
year 191S-19 be admitted to the uni
versity. up 10 the capacity Of the
university to furnish instruction
and 70 provide barracks and mess
facilities for members Of the stu
dents army training corps.
The effect Of this action is to
abolish for the current school year
all special requirements as TO indi-
vidUal subjects, since these special
requirements are not Of the same
Importance for admission to the S.
A T. G. as for admission to the
regular curriculums Of the uni
veTsity.
This ruling applies to women
students and to male students I'M
der is years Of age as well as to
male students IS years old or over
who are candidates for induction
into the S A 7. c.
1T viii be understood that the
subjects which students admitted
/ under this action may take will nee
u essarily be limited by the courses
Y they have taken in the high school.
For example. a student who has not
had plane geometry in the high
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-09-20

military police ordered all soldiers
on the street. Two men stood lie
hind the counter serving as fast AZ
their hands would fly.
Say. / come from n machine gun
outfit a mile out. The rest can
come in. Can you FIX US uD?'
How many"
Ten In my gang"
What d you want?'
Eats and smokes. What you
got? Cookies? Me for them. Say
friend, the mess cart amt found US
for a cats age"
He was fixed up. Along came
another boy-who wanted to blow
his months wages for cookies.
Sorry, old man. Can't let you
have but one package. The supply
is short and you can see the size
Of the gang in line. Just one for
you-so everybody can have a l1Ok
in"
Right you are" said the dough
boy. and he takes his cookies and
moves on.
And so It goes all day. Oficers
and men form that line without dis
tinction of rank. IN a Y. NJ. G. A.
hut all are welcome, and no one
gets preferred service. 1t was an
orderly crowd and a courteous
crowd. Scarcely a man made his
little purchase and turned away
without a word of thanks-and
thanks that were meant.
In that one day Enore than fVe
thousand American soldiers were
served with delicacies by that can
teen, and canteen service is not the
work the Y. NJ. c. A. came to France
TO do. It was wished on the asso-
citation by the army-and the asso-
citation accepted the job gladly, al
though it realized the amount OF
work involved and the difficulties 1t
would have to contend with.
When noon comes to these secre-
taries, or when breakfast hour
comes. or dinner. they dig up their
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-09-20

mess kits and begin 70 wosdar
where their g.gb is Go4ing IRON
Then they scaLtcf through sbs town
looking for army kitchens and army
cooks. As the soldier eats, 90 they
eat. II there Is bully beef the 7
NJ. c. A. eats bully beef, II IL is
goldfish or slum. the 7. NJ G 4
eats goldfish or slum. Il takes gbsf
comes to It. and Is glad 10 get any
thing. The cook gives them
hearty welcome and invites them to
come again.
After the long days work IA done
there has 10 be q stock taking ana
bookkeeping I'D plans for t0m5r-
row. Trucks going to advanced No.
sitions under cover OF the darknesT
have to be loaded. and drivers ser-
out on all night Jobs 10 carry sun
plies to secretaries who have tirv
cauteens in dug-outs at the vrrv
front where they face whatever FOR
tune comes to the doughboy him
self. First and last f. is a fob -or
regular men and not for quitte-s
1t is drudgery with mighty little TO-
nance. II is work, work. w0-f
But nobody seems 20 mind 1t or 10
tire or TO break under the strain.
But the amount and quality OF
the snoring that goes on in such
Y. NJ. {. A post when the work s
ended and the blanket rolls are oc-
cupied for the night DIS amazing and
wonderful. And il is a well earned
sleep.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-09-20

Tokio-The Toxic municipality
has decided 70 send the principals
of six municipal elementary
schools TO the United States on
tour of inspection. The party.
headed by Mr.. Moriya. chief Of The
educational section of the Toxic
municipal board, will visit various
parts of the United States. return
ing to Japan after 10 months. The
group is the first Of its kind 70 be
sent abroad by the CITY Of Toxic
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-09-20
Z. s. ENVOY HONORED.

London, Thursday. Sept 10
Walter Hines Page, the retiring
ambassador to Great Britain, was
today presented with d handsome
Georgian gold vase and Mrs. Page
was given q silver ink stand as a
parting testimonial by the Anglo
American society.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-09-20
By Clarence Burlington KelIand.

By Clarence Burlington kelland.
Paris.-(By MALL Running a Y.
NJ. C. A. canteen at the front is a
Job for a regular man with strong
arms and legs. There is a canteen
in Chateau Thierry, opened less
than "a hours after the Germans
evacuated the city that has It's hands
full from dawn till late at night.
The canteen is located in a beau
tiful old house opening on a stone
paved court at the front, and upon
what was once a beautiful garden
with a fountain and a pool behind.
The house has been wrecked by
she'll fire and it's exterior has been
ravaged by the Huns. When the
Y NJ. C. A moved in, it was unin-
habitable because of the rubbish
and filth piled high in every room
by the vandals. So the first job
was housekeeping
The lower story was cleaned out
The big salon with its fireplace was
thoroughly cleaned. A piano was
lifted from q canton and put in one
corner. Wooden tables and chairs
were unpacked and put in place so
that the soldiers might have a place
to sit and write on the paper that
was put out lavfshly for their use.
The adjoining room was fitted
with a makeshift counter for the
canteen and supplies were toted in
and packed about where they would
be handy. There were cases of bis
cults, chocolate, cigarets, chewing
tobacco, gum, safety razor blades,
shaving cream and toilet soap.
There was smoking tobacco and
handkerchiefs and razors. There
was everything that it was possible
to carry to that advanced place in
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-09-20
Chinese laborers in France
HANGS INSTEAD
OF SHOOTING TO
SAVE ON BULLETS

Chihauhau City, Mex.-Hanging
has replaced firing squad execu-
tions in northern Mexico. General
Francisco Marguia prefers the rope
to the bullet for disposing Of con-
demned men as he says it saves
ammunition. which is difficult to OBJ
tain. When General MuTgia' s
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-09-20

troops capture the bandits who
burn trains and loot towns he or
ders them strung up to the near
est telegraph poles. Passengers ar
irving here from the south recently
reported having seen 50 bodies
hanging from telegraph poles along
the Mexican Central railroad.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-09-20

school cannot undertake trigonom-
etry in college" declared c. NJ. Nc
Conn, university registrar, in com
menting on the matter.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-09-20

Mrs. James H. Porter, 231712
Fourth avenue, has received word
of the safe arrival of her son, Cor
poral James H. Porter, overseas.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-09-20
Creams

25c Ponds Extract Vanish
ing cream -.-..-...---. Zoe
60c MarineIIo Creams ..... 45c
SOC Pompeian Massage
cream '...-...-.-.. -....---.--... 4ibc
35c Pompeian Night Cream 2ac
25c California Citrus Cream Ice
SOC De Luxe Lather Cream S5c
CSC williams Shaving
cream ----..-.--.- -.-----.... 19c
soc Palmolive Cold Cream. 39c
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-10-27

raise the question Of Schleswig- Holstein,
while Prussia knows that she must lose
Posen and Alsace- Lorraine.
Her financial position deserves separate
treatment. Shut up as she is, Germany has
been able to float paper to the value Of
S30,000,000 daily throughout the whole
period of the war. This paper is held ex-
cluaively by Germans, and if it loses value,
as it will. when peace is signed and an in
ternational exchange is set up, German in
vestors alone will suffer. The knowledge
of this depresses the commercial magnates,
who we're as close to the Kaiser in past
years as were the Junkcrs themselves. Ger
many knows that every money and invest
mcnt market in the world is closed against
her, whereas the credit of the Allies is
pooled and depends on the assets of this
whole planet, the rapidly diminishing
area Of Prussan despotism.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-10-27
Hopelessly Outnumbered, Failing at
Every Point, the Foe
Is Baffled
By HILAIRE BELLOC
Author of Elements Of the Great Bra Most D,tnabed
Military Critic

attacked and we're broken by Gouraud
east of Rheims on July Is, and we are
fairly sure that these fifteen divisions
represented more than 100000 men. We
are still more confident that they repre-
sented something like 10000 infantry.
or at any rate we'll over $4,000. Even
the ten divisions Immediately in reserve
behind these fifteen, whose role it was
after the expected rupture of the French
line to come up between the attacking
divisions and continue the rapid advance
upon Chalons, probably upon the same
scale, stood for something like 15O,-
600 men, of whom 10000 were infantry.
counting in the special new reserves to
create which drafts had been made upon
the regiments along the line.
To-day these figures no longer apply.
The average strength of the German in
fantry division in the west is certainly
not 5000, and probably is not much more
than 5000. No less than TWENTY-FIVE d.
visions have disappeared altogether
is, they have been broken up to fill the
gaps left by their fellows, and time and
again we learn through prisoners, or
captured papers, or other means that
particular units which did famous work
in the past and therefore used especial
effort in covering this retreat have been
reduced to skeletons. For instance, the
Sixth Division, the most famous of those
which attacked Verdun two and one.half
years ago, had when it received it's last
hammering this month not 1000 infan-
try present against our attack. 7 could
name Guard divisions of which the de-
pletion is equally severe. 1t is true that
these figures have been taken after a
series of very severe actions and before
the units have time to retire and become
rested and recruited, but they are such
figures as were quite unknown before the
present phase of the war.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-10-27
II ospital Returns and
Boys of Eighteen

To recruit losses so enormous there
is a wholly insufficient supply of men,
nothing but hospital returns and class
1920 boys of eighteen, nearly a quarter of
whom are still under eighteen, and who
number on paper 100000, but who in
numbers actually used are very much less.
Indeed, the experiment Of putting them
on the front line had already been tried
earlier in the course of the present enemy
defeat and had partially broken down.
and | believe we possess an order of the
enemy Higher Command saying that they
had for the moment been withdrawn.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-10-27
Propaganda That Turned Out
Il To Be a Boomerang

These facts are obviously affecting the
minds especially of the civilian people
For the propaganda by which the autocracy
instigated the German nations to this war
was like boomerang-it returns to strike
its authors. Every man, woman and child
was bred on the slogan dominion or down
tail'-thc inference being "dominon."
Dominion is now manifestly impossible. Sc
that there remains for the popular imagina-
ton just-downfall. Never in the history
of the world has there been such moral
and material concentration among men as
tins overwhelming economic, military.
financial and naval combined force which
cruahcs German Kaiscrdom from every
side. Countries remote as Napal or ths
Argentine contribute of their kind. and
wisely. We must secure among nations 4
respect for justice and order. If mankind
thus united for the first time, fails 70 a.,
sert its authority, if one recalcitran,
power can challenge a judgment so CON
sldered and so universal. then what hone
Is there for subsequent peace amony men ,
ihH human race. when thus empanellcd a.
jury having thus agreed on verdict
must carry out the sentence or dissolve
forever the reign Of law,
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-10-27

effort for any army. Let me explain.
When you have a sufficiency of men you
hold a particular line WITH say, 100
units, and in reserve at various parts
behind the line, distributed all along the
length, say fifty units. Your sufIiciency
of men permits you to adopt this dispo-
sition, and as the units on the fighting
line are used up you withdraw them for
recruiting and repose and replace them
by units taken from the reserve These
units, kept in reserve, are conveyed to
the line by the shortest route of COM
munications. They relieve other units
standing Immediately in front of them
Again, if sudden pressure is brought to
the right of your line you meet it by
drawing from the reserve which stands
wight behind the right end; then if sud
denly the enemy transfers his pressure
to the left you meet it by bringing up
the reserve standing Immediately behind
the units Of the left. But when your re-
serve of men is low and your numbers
insufficient, then your call to relieve
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-10-27

tired unit, to meet sudden pressure
at any point, involves bringing men from
great distances to the point in question.
You have not enough men to stand every
where behind the front line The re-
serves are sparsely scattered groups
placed at a few points. Every case of
sudden call involves long journeys to the
front and up and down the line.
That was precisely our difficulty dur
ing the great enemy attacks of March
and April last. The enemy compelled
our dwindling reserves to travel at most
cxhausting speed up and down along
the line, with bad lateral communica-
lions, and the strain on the strength of
the French and British armies was in
creasngly severe, at one moment peril
ously severe. For instance, hardly had
the Germans ended the great attack at
the front at Amiens on April when,
four days later, they launched an attack
far north against the Lys front, nearly
sixty miles away on straight line and
more than one hundred miles by the
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-10-27
\ Plan Abandoned Under
"A Stern Necessity

We saw this clearly the other day when
the British second army, supported on
the left by French and Belgian troops,
advanced so rapidly into Flanders. The
complete breach Of the temporary Ger
man defences was organized between
Lys near Menin and the sea at Westende
and led within three days to the evacua
ton of the whole Lille salient. Until that
moment it was obvious that the most
necessary line upon which the Germans
certainly depended for retirement had
for bastions at either end the extremely
strong position Of Lille and the still
stronger position of Metz. Lille was not
abandoned as part of the plant was
abandoned under necessity, and the loss
necessarily involved further retirements
to the north across the Belgian plain.
How true this is those best know who
have seen what | cannot reproduce here
the scheme of defence organized by the
enemy around Lille 1t has been thor
oughly reconnoitred and photogra pied
from the air for many months past, and
it was by far the strongest of the recent
field works organized by the enemy
stronger even than that sector of the
Hndenburg line in front of Cambria,
which is the next strongest piece of work
established during the last four years
by the enemy in France; and giving up
such a system meant an unexpected, COM
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-10-27

This depletion of numbers, which must
be the constant theme for the present
moment, governs to-day the whole war
and has had two indirect effects of the
highest consequence, quite apart from the
effect of weakening the mere numerical
strength of the line to be held.
The first Of these effects is the diff
Guilty of giving the proper rest to d-
visions retired from the line We have
cases in which units withdrawn for re-
pose were compelled in the same week
to reenter the front. The old rule Of
retiring a division when it had lost from
fifth to quarter Of its fighting
strength Of infantry no longer applies.
German divisions are retired when the
Higher Command is compelled to retire
them, not before, and they are contin-
ually thrown in again after grossly in
sufficient repose and grossly insufficient
recruitment
The second indirect effect of this de-
pletion in numbers is the necessity of
perpetual movement, most eXhausting
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-10-27
herman Casualties Greatly
~ Outnumber Those of Allies

But obviously there is here fa,acy.
The British army only fought at maxi
mum strength during the last two years.
In 1917 alone the casualties were 100000.
This year they will be 100000. In the
German army, driven to battle for four
wears first on the cast and then on the
west the admitted casualties cannot be
fewer than 100000 and the not wastaoe
must be 100000 at the very least There
remains, doubtless, formidable force for
use on the shortened line. But it is not
hale the prospective Allied concentration.
AZ this point there enters the factor OF
morale. The Allies fought for justice:
Germany nights only for success. The man
who wants justice fights on even if he
roses. The man who only cares about sue
cess falls down under failure. Look at
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-10-27

Western front may be roughly estimated
thus:
France, 100000; Britain, $500, 900; u.
S. A.. 100000; Belgium and Portugal, $780,
900; total, 12,5Oo,OOO
do not suggest that all these men will
be fighting at the same time. And l am
still assuming that Italy is occupied else
where. But here you have evidence of I'M
limited reserves-what President Wilson
calls military supremacy''-and the Amer
lean item is put at Minimum
What has Germany to show? The United
Kingdom has enlisted one man in seven Of
total population. I see no reason to believe
that Germany has done more than this
She has had to maintain industrial output
unaided by any considerable volume of i'm
ports Let us give her, then a total of 1O,-
100000 men for this war. How many has
she lefto
Britain and her Empire have raised s.
$4,000 fighting men. Among these there
are 100000 casualties, of which about L.
100000, or 40 per cent, are killed. Sub
tracing 100000 natives, many employed
on labor it looks as if the total for casu-
alties IN the British forces was one-third
the men engaged. On this reckoning the
German losses are 100000
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-10-27
Ouch a Rapid Change
~ Cannot Be Effective

Such line stretches from the Dutch
frontier near Liege to junction with
the present line in front of Nancy,
a little more than $50 miles in length
whereas the present extension line
even after recent retreats, is more
than $50 miles, and with all convolu-
tions much more than $50. Neverthe-
less, the enemy won't adopt that short
est line, and this for many reasons
In the first place, he couldn't fall back
to it with sufficient rapidity. Retirement
from the neighborhood of Lille to Liege
would be about 100 miles, even in
straight line. The number of men and
the amount of material to be moved quite
prohibit the rapid change in the face Of
the tremendous pressure the German line
is suffering. Again, to adopt such a
short line would put essential productive
centres like Westphalia, great coal field
and steel works, and the vital Rhine
bridges at Cologne and Coblentz under
such severe bombing from the air at
short range that it would probably dis
remaining enemy defences.
Again, there is no lateral line of COM
rlunication in the sector across the east
eyr part of Ardennes, which would be 4
permanent peril. To be more accurate.
it couldn't hold. A much more probable
Inc, though it saves but little actual
nnleage-less than a fifth-would be the
line of the Scheldt, formidable line as
far as Termonde; then line to Den
der, covering Brussels; thence across the
plain around Namur and so down the
Meuse to Charleroi, striking the Meusc
somewhere above Namur. Such line
would be very great advantage against
The present offensive tactics of the Allies
1T would be water line along much
more than half its length, and it is this
line which most students of the present
situation regard as the probable rallying
line of his retirement 1t is not more
than a suggestion, but if the readers
look at any large map Of Belgium they
cal. see its advantages. The gorge of
the Mouse above Namur is easily capable
CT defence with reduced forces, though
Cor supplies there are very bad commu-
n,catlons behind it, and the upper Meusc
though similarly suffering from lack of
communications behind it, continues to
be an excellent water line TO a point
where the enemy now stands