Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-04-26
THE oREATEsT ARMY

themselves with new glory by With
standing q fierce attack by German
shock troops in an overwhelming
number, and striking back in a coun-
ter stack which elected the enemy
from Q captured village and trench
line.
The belated cable dispatches describ-
ing the battle indicate that the Amer
leans were outnumbered heavily, that
they were attacked In the familiar
German storming method after being
raked by a severe barrage 6re and that
they fought hand-to-hand with the en-
envy in such desperate fashion that
even the kaisers proud shock troops
were forced to withdraw.
The layman's impression after read
ing the various accounts OF the en-.
counter Is that the Americans were
whipped early in the enlargement, but
didn't know It or wouldn't realise 1t.
and that they simply hewed 2 victory
out Of q defeat by reason OF their in.
domitable perseverance and pluck and
American courage.
Happy is the land, indeed, whose
army never knows when 1t Is whipped
Americas first hundred thousand"
typical of the big army which the
United States Is rushing to Europe az
rapidly as ships can b dispatched,
might be tested by any Of the methods
known to diagnosticians without ind.
ing q single trace Of yellow.
General Foch IL credited with win.
ming the decisive phase Of the great
Marine battle BY refusing to admit de.
Wy II ~ ~
most brilliant pages in Der history VIII
be that on which is inscribed Foch's
brief report to Marshal Joffre, in which
he said, after announcing that his left
had been rolled back, his right. out.
thanked and his center forced to with
draw under heavy attacks:
II have ordered a general advance
in all quarters"
That general advance turned the
tide of the battle Of the Marne. The
Germans, having won what appeared
to them a victory, found themselves
unable to cope with an army which,
beaten, refused to accept defeat
Il Is that same spirit which domi-
mates Americas fighters, from General
Pershing down to the most humble
buck private in the greenest regiment
over there. or over here either, for that
matter. The American soldier 10 not
botherinE his mind over formal state
ments Of war aims; he is In there to
hill MI the German soldiers he can.
and to stay on the job a. long 40 there
II . JOB before him.
He has the highest and most holy
reasons for his determination to night
through to q finish and victory. He
knows the fate that has befallen some
Of his comrades; he knows the british,
barbaric. inhuman methods by which
the Germans torture their victims; he
knows the whole, sad story OF broken
Beleium; he knows the penalty the
world would be- forced to pay should
the kaiser obtain the upper hand in
his war against civilization. He knows
that the future Of Chr1stendom and al
humanity is at stake in the struggle
In which America 10 enlisted; he
knows that he Is a responsible unit
in the military organization which, IN
the end. must fight out the decision
AGAINST Germany's hordes Of despoif
ers. He has a duty to perform and his
processes Of reasoning out his part in
the war are simpls: he is there to dc
away with a. much OF the German
army as he can account for.
II General Pershfng had million &C
tive fighting men under the stars and
stripes in Europe today We might be
looking forward to an early conclu
sion of the war. Beyond question
when Americas army over there does
amount to a million men. It will be the
greatest body Of fighters ever assem-
bled since the world was made.
It win be greater than the splendid
armies which sprang into being fo1
England and France In 1914 because
1t will have the benefit OF careful train
ing and the inestimable advantage o.
the experiences through which those
allied armies have passed In fosn
years. 1t will hsve been ASSEMBLED
with . measure Of elaboration which