The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-02-25
Now Holding First Line Sector OF
"Road of The Ladies"
. Ridge.
HAVE BRUSH WITH FOE
Answer Enemy's Attack With Three
Shells To One-French Gem
erai Pays High Tribute To
American Soldiery.

With the American Army In
France, Feb. 25.-The lombard
ment is still more intense on the
American sector northwest Of
TouI. Night and day enemy pro-
jectIes are falling in towns and
have been directed at a number
of strateeical points. The dam
age done has been unimportant.
Our guns replied to the enemy
with three shells for one. A
Trench mortar projectiie fell on
one Of our trenches, killing one
and wounding four. Rain has pre-
vented aerial activity and the
trenches and dugouts are flooded.
With the American Army in France
Feb. 25.-U. S. troops are holding a
watch on the first line sector of the
Road of the Ladies'" front.
With the American Army in France,
Feb. 23.-Sammies are on the watch
In the first line sector of the Road
of the Ladies'" front.
There has been a clash In No
Mans land between American and
German patrols. II is certain, there
fore, that Fritz" knows about the
presence of Americans on this famous
front, so the folks back home, too,
may know.
The enemy lost one killed and one
prisoner. One American was slight
ly wounded.
The American casualties since the
occupation of a segment of this i'm
portant and continually active ridge
have been light.
Solemn and inspiring scenes at
tended the moving the Sammies into
the Chemin Des Danes sector. Chap
lains spoke the benediction beside a
statue of Joan dare and French
general, one of the heroes Of the
Marne, who now commands the
front, kissed the Stars and Stripes as
the Sammies detrained in a town
torn by shells before the Germans
were forced back, and then wantoniy
destroyed before the enemy left It,
Warns Against Reckiessness.
The generals address to the troops
was one to quicken the heart of ev'
cry American He expressed pride
at seeing such picked specimens OF
manhood, giants In stature, compared
with the sturdy Poilus. incorporated
In his sector.
He urged the Sammies not to ex
pose themselves recklessly to the con
tinuous enemy activity, which he
warned them they would meet. He
compared the Americans with thor
oughbred race horses, anxious t(
show their mettle, and hard to hole
In. He cautioned them that they were
about to go hunting wild and dan
gerous beasts in the valley beyond"
The pitchy blackness of the nigh
required the Americans to proceed
In single file through roughly con
nected shell holes serving as com
munication trenches" each mar
holding to the bayonet of the maj
ahead of him.
Reserves Take 70 Quarries.
The reserve troops found safet,
and tranquility deep underground Il
the celebrated quarries. where tn
Germans organized the defense of tn
Aisne line after their retreat fron
the Marne, and which are said +
have been prepared before the wa
by their German owners to accom-
modate large bodies of troops TO
just such an emergency.
Entire companies and even batta
ions are bilieted here In the bowel
Of the earth safe from the bigges
shells and provided with all HON
comforts such as electric lights, fan
and hot water system.
The enemy's harassing tactics hav
been persistent ever since he lost tn
dominating positions last summe
The whole sector Is continual
seething with indirect fire over tn
ridge by the opposing batteries.