Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-24
PARISIANS
YANKEE SAVIORS
No Longer Feel Danger of
Loss of Capital Americans
Protect
PRAISE FROM A GERMAN
Captured Colonel Ranks Them
Nineteen in Scale of Twenty.
Disregard Danger
PRAISE FROM A GERMAN
BY CHARLES H. CRASTY
pecial Cable TO Ercning Public Ledger


Copyright, 1918. BY Ncrr York Times Co.
London. Ju,v "a.
Americans returning from France say
that there has been revolution of feel
ing there the last fortnight The fall
or destruction of Paris is now thought
to be as far removed as it was after
the first Marine battle General en-
thusiasm for America is manifested
An American official who has spent
weeks in Paris said:
"A French Cabinet Minister gave me
an account of a visit to the battle. He
talked with all sorts of officers from
General Foch down. All told the same
story of the American units in that
/ fight Tie Minister remarked that they
fought as well as the French did in the
first six months of the war, when they
were fresh. and higher praise could not
be bestowed
"A German colonel who was captured
was asked what estimate he placed on
the American troops now in the fighting.
He answered that in a scale of twenty
he marked them nineteen. Our divisions
have the honor of occupying the line
nearest Paris, and they feel the re-
sponsiblity a 5 defenders of the capital
Tho recent action brought together the
greatest body of troops that ever fought
under the Stars and Stripes"
General de Goutte Mans Man
An officer who arrived yesterday from
the front told me of visit to General
de Goutte at his headquarters. He "a Id
that the best word to apply to the
French general was "dependable" He
made an impression similar to that made
by the best type of American man OF
affairs. He talked quietly and coll
fidenty. Nothing could be overlooked
by General de Goutte. He was the
kind of man Americans would like to see
in command of a large body of Ameri-
cans.
The same officer gave a striking de-
scription of the Allied troops on the
way to the Foch offensive. My in
formant, who knows horses expertly,
says he never saw finer mounts than
those of the French cavalry. The whole
picture of those beautifully trained and
equipped men riding to the great battle,
where they We're to perform great feats,
was one never to be forgotten.
A few minutes later my informa IS
car pulled up at the side of the road to
allow a regiment of American marines
pass. They swung by singing, From
the Halls of Montezuma." They were
in top condition, despite recent expert
ences. 1t is not to be supposed that
the Americans are doing shock duty in
the hottest battles of the world without
paying the price of their aggressive
courage. You know the extent of their
losses better in America than we do
here. If there is any criticism a" all
Of our soldiers. it is on account of their
contempt for danger.
Soldier Best at Six Months
asked an officer who had been train
ing Americans at home and he gave
them the usual fine send-off.
There is much misconception on the
subject of training" he said. "A soldier
, with the right stuff in him is best at six
months. After three or four years he
seems stale There is just as much
| trouble from overtraining as under
! training. You are putting in some OF
the best troops the world has ever seen
d, They are big. strapping fellows, and
keen as hunters"
on this point. | talked today with
| Arthur Page, editor of Worlds Work
who came over on a troop transport
The men aboard were from Washington
| and Oregon.
How do you like them?" I asked.
THAT would depend on whether they
were with me or against me-" Page
| replied.
Hard to Make Them Better
They'd have been an ugly lot to &c
up against. It would be hard to make
to order a better soldier TO be sent
against the boche. Not many of them
were looking back over the shoulder, bu,
all were intent on the job ahead OF
them"
The story is the same from every
quarter. Those of US waiting behind
have been expecting an Isolated insta nee
of barrage going wrong or communica.
ton breaking down or bad intelligence
work with unfortunate results.
That sort of thing is inevitable anona
new troops, but there has been no word
of it so far.
The main impression created wa.
bluntly expressed by an American OF
fcer thus: Americans are not onl,
here in great numbers and coming oveI
in great nmbers. but they. can and Wi
nsht likdlheli-" - : !.