The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-11-04
YANKEES DRIVE
EIGHT MILES ON
3O-M|LE Line
French Fourth and U. S. First
Armies Make Sweeping Gains
West of MeuSe.
ALL OBJECTIVES ARE PASSED
Aviators Report All Roads Running
Northward Packed With Troops,
Artillery and Trucks-Prison-
ers and Captured Guns
Greatly Increased.


Greatly Increased.
London, Nov. 4.-The American
First and French Fourth armies adj
vanced between seven and eight miles,
according to the latest word from the
front west of the Meuse.
Retreat East of Meuse.
With the American Forces North
west of Verdun, Nov. 4.-American
aviators reported the Germans east Of
the Meuse appeared in full retreat.
The aviators' messages said all
roads running northward were packed
with troops, artillery and trucks.
(The above dispatch indicates that
the rout Of the Germans by the Ameri-
cans west of the Meuse has spread to
the German lines east of the river.
The newly formed Second American
army, under General Bullard, is at
tacking in this sector.)
Pass Ali objectives.
General Pershing's forces continued
to make satisfactory progress during
with isolated opposition here and
there.
Virtually every American division
had not only reached it's 0bjectives,
but was far ahead of them. Prisoners
and captured guns and material are re-
quantity.
Along the battle lines in France to-
day, and stretching back behind that
front, at the fighting wall, are bfvOuac-
ing nearly 100000 American vet
Grams.
This statement has no reference to
the total number Of American soldiers
overseas which is over twice a million
1t means men tried and tempered by
fire, desperate and confident. 1t means
what it says-veterans. They consti
tute one Of the most formidable fight
ing machines the world has ever seen
They form the greatest army Of ex
perienced warriors America has haG
since the sixties.
It may be difficult for mothers anC
fathers in America to realize that the
boys they saw leaving home anC
hearth a little over a year ago, wholly
unversed in the business of war an6
unsophisticated in the ways of the
world, today are classed as crack bat
tie troops. But such is the case.
They have served their apprentice
ship on the field. They have become
historic in the annals of the greates
war ever fought. They are master
hands at the game.
Half a dozen American divisions
made up of boys and men who a few
bartenders, walters, collegians, team
sters, brokers, messenger boys, bal
players and newspaper men, are rate(
by military experts and their enemies
who ought to knOW-alOng with the
flower of the continental soldiery
Moreover, they fight with a dash ant
spirit that has astounded the enemy.
Nothing ever seems to dampen theil
enthusiasm. 1t is always the strong
est ingredient of their work. They art
for the most part men who will return
promptly to civil life, to their ole
peaceful pursuits once the war is over
But now they are soldiers, with al
amazing discipline, devoted to soldier
ing with the same Nhole-heartednes:
with which they followed whatever oc
cupation they had before the war.
No one would have believed yol
r,,,
maker who had never been off Man
haitian island, and inside of yea
make him into an expert modern sol
dier.
1t has been done. Bookkeepers hav,
been transformed into some of tn,
greatest machine gunners ever seen
Artillerymen have been made out O.
Wall street clerks. Over these have
been placed officers who but recent.
followed employments as prOsaic a.
Bookkeepers Fine Gunners.
One German who has fought agains
nearly all allied crusaders, declared
the other day when he was captured
by the Americans that the German
veterans would rather meet any troops
than the American First division.
The First division has been through
all the big shows, as the fights ar
called, in which the Americans hav,
figured. It is the "old fox" Of the Yam
kee divisions at fighting the Germans
Respected by the Germans
This story is written to impress
upon American readers the fact tha
our army which is opposed today b,
the pick Of the kaiser's troops, is re
spected by the Germans as an army O
real veterans which has long sine