Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-12-14
PERSHING PUTS
FEAR Of yANKS
IN FOES HEARTS
Col, Repington Praises Good
Comradeship Of American
Commander Kept Eyes on
StrategicaI Detectives,
BY Lieut.. Col. Repin2ton.
Copyright, 1918, by the Post Publish
ing Co


Especial Cable Dispatch to the World
and Albuquerque Journal)
London, Dec IA military critic
i'm time of war is necessarily barred
from mentioning numbers and units
of the armies fighting on the side of
ones country while active operations
are in progress. For this reason | have
been unable heretofore to refer, in
more than outline, to the remarkable
military effort the United States has
made in France this year ] now gladly
take the opportunity afforded by the
publication in the United States of
General Pershing's dispatch and by
withdrawal of previous restrictions
TO do justice to that very splendid
achievement
1t has been my opinion since 1914
that viewing the position in which
the belligerent armies stood in France,
an advance down the Mouse would
be the right and decisive strategy
whenever our forces might be strong
enough to strike, and at the same
time guard themselves from the Metz
side 1t was to be the matador thrust
in the bull fight.
Prolongation of the Argonne-Meuse
offensive westward indicated that the
French were responsive to this idea.
When | learned that the leading role
in the movement had been assigned TO
the Americans | was well pleased, for
! trusted in the movement and in the
men.
The initial attack by the ten leading
American divisions on September 20
was most successful. 1t ran over the
enemy and gained ten miles in depth
in two days. During October the
Americans delivered concerted and
general attacks, and were continuous
w engaged against a total of thirty
three German divisions in some of the
fierccst and most bitter fighting of the
war.
The Germans could not afford to
give ground there and they fought
like lions. Argonne, with its deep
gullies ad tangled thickets, had been
the scene of the most sansuinary fight
ing early in the war. 1t was the same
ground and the same kind of fighting
that the young American army had to
confront.
In that terrible month of combats
with bullet, bomb and baycnet espe-
cially from October / to is, the Amer
leans must have suffered not less than
100 900 casualties, though | do not
Know the exact figure.
They found themselves up against
q proposition calculated to appal
the stoutest hearts They fought ST.
1e1tTv bnt grinily, doggedly and fierce
". Difficulty Of supplies was success
fuly overcome despite poverty OF
communications.
The sight OF fresh American divi-
sions continually thrown into the
fight at a time when the British ar
mics were hammering him merciless-
~ in the north broke Ludendorff's
nerve and filled the mind of the enc
NV with forebodinc of inevitable disas-
ter.
Bv October / the American line had
extended east and west a little north
of Grandpre. and General Pershing
was ready to launch his last general
attack, which was delivered Novem-
her /. preceded by carefully prepared
artillery bombardment 1t was com
pIetely successful and resulted in an
advance of forty kilometers NEARLY
twenty-five milesl in seven days.
Under the most adverse conditions
of ground and season and of incom-
nlete service General Pershing had
fulfilled his mission. Had not the arr
noistice been signed on November II
an attack would have been launched
ON that day bv the Second American
army in the direction of Briefly, and
If must have succeeded.
To nv mind there was nothing finer
IN The war than the splendid good
comradeship displayed throughout by
General Pershing, and there was moth
ing more striking than the determined
wav in which he pursued his original
man of making the American army
respected and feared.
The propran1 Of arrivals, speeded up
and varied in response to the appeals
of tho allies involved him in appalling
difficulties from which the American
armies suffered to the last. His gem
n,a,e ancwor IN otipc for helm from