Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-11-22
IN THE BATTLE ZONE-Where Americans Turned the Tide

America has come into the war;" That
has made all the difference We have done
nothing to boast of. Our sacrifice does not
compare with the awful agony and long
death roll of the other nations. Neverthe-
less, it is held by many that Americas en-
try turned the tide of the war.
There was time months ago when
wave of pessimism swept over France in
gloom so dark and terrible that victory SEEM
ed impossible. There were many regiments
at the front that laid down their arms, and
it seemed as IL the allies must fail. This
was to have been the year of the great Ger
man victory. In March and April the Ger
mans had broken through the British army
to a depth of more than thirty miles in their
great drive for the coast. Then came the
fierce assault upon the hardpressed French
front. Desperately holding on along that
thin red line, exhausted by weeks of fighting,
half starved under continual she'll fire, gass-
ed, decimated, some of the French regiments
almost dead on their feet, had passed out in
retreat toward Pars and the Germans had
broken through nearly forty miles toward
the capital and had reached Chateau Thierry.
Paris seemed doomed. Two million of the
population had fed. Gun emplacements
were ready for fighting in the streets of the
city Every member of the Y. NJ. G. A. and
kindred organizations had place assigned
in an auto or truck to escape at the last
moment when the Germans should enter.
AMERICANS ARRIVE
But then, near Chateau Thierry, something
happened. AS the French infantry had
passed out in retreat leaving some of their
artillery exposed, around bend in the road
came great trucks crowded with boys in
khaki, laughing, shouting, cheering. As
they swung around curve they overturned
one of the French seventy-five guns. Spring
ing from the trucks they started forward to-
ward the enemy.
l stood on the spot where the first Ameri-
can soldier fell that day. There was the
clay of the new made grave. There was his
steel helmet that he would never need again.
There were the Stars and Stripes, and on the
grave the words: AN unknown American sol
der Beyond that grave where the first 0f
our boys fell the German hordes never pass
ed. and never will
farther on the crosses became thicker. The
ground was tossed and torn by great she'll
holes. Huge trees more han two feet in
diameter had been cut down by shell fire. The
wheat fields were trampled by the rush of
battle. Here and there in wild confusion lay
heaps of ammunition. German helmets, uni
FORMS guns, bayonets, gas masks-an left
by the fleeing enemy. Now the crosses be-
came thicker. We stood by the grave OF
Quentin Roosevelt, fallen from his last flight
in the air, and by many a nameless grave of
some mothers son-the light of some
home that will never return. We
pressed on toward the front lines to carry
in provisions for the boys who were holding
on over the Vese, in their grim fight with |
the enemy. And oh, how bravely those boys
we're fighting!
BETTER THAN PRUSSIANS
1t seemed that British excel in the air. |
On the British front in recent weeks we never
saw a Germln plane that dared show itself !
over the allied lines in daylight. The French
are the best in the world an artillery. But
when it comes TO infantry, none are surpass-
ing our own boys. They are better than the
Prussian Guard.
Here was one boy shot through the lungs, |
cou Ching and splitting blood, yet crawling |
forward on his hands and knees, rising {
feebly to shoot and fall, until he had fired |
his last cartridge before he died. Here was
boy brought in the first night we reached |
base hospital where the wounded were being |
carried back from the american front. He |
had lost both legs, he was gassed and de-
lirious, but in his mind he was still fighting
in the battle. Over and over again he kept |
saying: Wen get them yet: we'll get
them yet Unconsciously he was repeating
that great word of General Petain at Verdun
wen get them" Yes, thanks to our boys
and our brave allies who are advancing with !,
the ring of certain victory ali along that ter
rble and glorious front, we've got them.
HOME AWAY FROM HOME Il
wish you could have seer the huts Of the
Red Triangle and kindred organizations where
have seen them in recent weeks at the front
saw them first at the base OF the grand
feet There was the greatest massing oflt