New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1918-06-15

different from that of England or
even of the Dominiolss Eng
land could work from her bases
at home for her operations a few
score miles away IN France The
Dominions sent their men over 10
England to join prepared estab-
lishments. But America was
sending her troops from an ave-
rage distance Of 1000 miles. She
had to prepare a countryside in
Europe to receive them, carry
them from end to end Of France,
build docks at which they could
land, build railways ever which
they could be carried, build vast
warehouses to hold their supplies,
ordnance factories where their
guns could be re-rifed. motor
works where automobiles by the
score Of thousand could be as
sembled and kept in order. and
hospitals where hundred thou
sand men could be tended at
once.
She must thread France from
the Atlantic coast to the German
border with her own telegraph
lines. Vast cold-storage plart
was necessary for the food of the
Army, lest some unhappy turn
might bring two million men face
to face with starvation. For e.
cry two men in the front linss
there must be three behind the
lines. keeping up supplies, re
pairing the wreckage Of war,
caring for the wounded.
They had to lay the founda-
tons. These foundations have
been laid with solidity and WITH
a speed of which the world d. |
large has no idea. L have seer
some of the most beautiful coun
tryside of France turned. mile
after mile, into region of war@-
houses to store food for the Army. 4
old cities of mid France trans
formed by the pulsing life Of the
vast numbers of Americans that /
have come to train among them.
What of the fighting men
themselves? How many Ameri- Il
cans are at the front now? That
question obviously cannot be
answered. but some facts can be
told.
The American troops in the
fighting line are more numerous
than many English people seem
to imagine. If it were not for
the extravaganza forecasts of last
year we would be pleased with
their numbers. One section is
holding a considerable part Of
the Lorraine front and another
section is with the Anglo-French
fighting Army farther north. The
numbers in the fighting line are
increasing daily. and the best
proof of the Americans activity
at the front is that in a compare
lively short time they have had
more than 1000 casualties.
= Y
They are keen fighters. They
remind me at every turn Of the
Canadians. They have begun
with the idea of transforming
trench war into open war. Their
motto. is Attack! Attack! Attack
all the time.
When they took over their sec
tor of the Lorraine front it was
comparatively quiet. Now it has
become a field of continuous ac-
tivity. Eve want this job
cleaned up" say the men. |
found some artillerymen working
thirty-seven hours at a stretch
without grumbling to hurry on
he beginning Of their attack.
These men say little about the
glory Of war, but they reveal
,old, calculated determination to
md it. Their frigid resolution
impressed me as more terrible
han any mere surface enthus-
asm. / found, too. at every
urn an avowed purpose to see
his thing through to the end.
md absolute assurance about 8
what the end will be. q
General Pershing voiced the v
sentiment Of the entire Army. L
net him one afternoon when o
Jews from the northern front was n
cry gloomy. He seemed to- q
lv,,Ch fho clam omou 9Th orn "