El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-05-04

and made off. than new group ar
rived. But the devoted French terri
toriais kept at the work: some were
killed and injured, but were they not
under fire? 1T was my baptism OF
fire" said an old man to me proudly.
''for am too old for the trenches. And
am glad 20 have risked my life, like
the young ones" Il would not sur
prise the officer IN charge OF those
men II a few CroiN de Guerre are dis
. triouted among them; for repairing
railway tracks under fire and run
ming blazing cars with explosive con-
tents onto sidings. is not work for
faint hearts They kept the line open:
all night, amid the commandments. the
long, dark trains puffed through
Chalons; and the scene at Chalons was
repeated, on a smaller scale. at many
other stations behind the front Mean
while, Parisians and Londoners, peer
ing up at the motioniess clouds about
the full moon. said. It's queer the
Gothas aren't raiding US tonight"
Allies safe From Disaster.
There are many things I saw and
heard behind the front in these last
few days, that I would like to tell. but
may not yet: the main impression
produced on my mind is an absolute
confidence that whatever fighting may
come this summer, we are now safe
from disaster. under the protection OF
the marvellous French staff. with its
genius for war and organization.
Many things the French have done
that our officers have not understood
many things about French methods
they have not perhaps liked: but an
army must be judged by results, and
the work OF stripping an active front
Of guns and men and transferring
them elsewhere in a few days, when
thousands OF cannon and hundreds OF
/ q o IL
been done under terrible pressure by
the French staff in a way that has
seemed 10 me simply miraculous.
1t was the work Of transport and
organization in the rear that made It
possible for Fayelle TO form a defen-
sive flank along the Disc. massacre
with those G5's that came up in lOrries
the many German divisions that tried
to force the river, close up the river
roads from NoyOn to Compiegne and
Paris
Germans Pressed Back.
It was still other divisions and guns
moved in the same way that pressed
back and immObilized the Germans as
in their thrust south at Paris stopped,
they flung themselves westwards past
Lassigny to Mont Didier, seeking 10
take Amiens and separate the British
and the French; and. finally Gen.
Foch, by that time in supreme com
masses Of men and material brought
Up along the same railways and the
same roads, to stop the enemy on the
heights west Of Mont Didier and con-
tain his rush.
This story has been about the
French, whom have seen going into
action; I do not mean to imply that
the British. too, have not done mar
vels in the north; without the British
stubbornness north Of Mont Didier be-
fore Albert and Arras, where I hear
the third army under Gen. Byng has
covered itself with glory, the miracle
the French have wrought in the south
would be in vain. But the break was
IN a British sector; the British had
planned 70 meet the attack. The
French had quite other plans; 10 them,
the collapse Of the fifth British army
came as a stunning surprise. Terrible
then as Sir Douglas Haig's problems
were, to move his reserves into posi-
ton did not involve the difficulties
that the French. with that flash OF
genius that comes to them in moments
Of supreme peril. saw. understood,
overcome almost overnight. There is
no better soldier in the world than
the Englishman; but after the story
OF the first week Of the battle OF Pr
csrdy comes 20 be told in detail ]
think all the allied peoples viii be glad
and proud 70 serve, 10 the field. IN
der the supreme direction Of the in
comparable French staff.-Copyrigh
1915, by Mcclure Newspaper Srndi-
cate.