Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-04-30
American Forces Face the
Enemy on the Line Barring
the Germans From PatiS
and AmienS, Is Report.
MARCH FROM BILLET
BASES IMPRESSIVE
Many Units Start Off to the
Tune of the Star Spangied
Banner Played By Ba0dsi
Applaud Movie Stars,


with the American Forces in North
orn France, April 2S (by the Associat-
ed Press American troops have
taken up positions on the French bait
tie front. Under the French high COM
mand in which all ranks have su-
preme confidence, the American
forces face the enemy on the limo bar
ring the Germans from Paris ana
Aniens, where they have been a GER
tain number of days.
The Americans on entering the line,
found their position in a rolling ter
rain. The artillery was the first on
the line, entering on dark night
which was made red by the continu-
Gus flashes of friendly and hostile
guns. Under a fire which in some
cases was rather heavy, the Ameri-
can gunners took up the positions of
the, French batteries and completed
the work of digging in
When the infantry moved in, the
fighting was just as intense. At some
places our troops, after passing
through villages were raked now and
then with shrapnel. In several in
stances they found the trenches shall
low while in other cases there We're
no trenches at all. BY this time the
positions have been improved great
ly and the shell holes connected.
There was not a raid on either side
for several days but at night the pa
trolls are active, Americans approach
ing close to the encmy's lines. All dur
ing the night rapid machine gun and.
rifle fire indicates where the Ameri-
can bullets are keeping out enemy pa
trolling partiesl
The march from the billet bases to
the line was very impressive. Many
units started off with the strains of
The Star Spangled Banner" played
by regimental bands, in their ears.
March as If On Parade.
AT one place the tune must have
reached the German line, so close was
the band, the gun flashes being re-
Elected on the Instruments. The con-
slant roar of artillery was deafening
as the Americans, marching as if on
parade disappeared down the roads
past the American batteries which
were sending many shells into the en-
cmy lines.
Along some of the roads over which
the Americans passed they encoun-
tered streams of refugees going the
other way. The troops watched them
sllently for the most part. and the pit
hul scenes caused many an American
to grit his teeth. More than one in
fantryman has shared his rations with
some French family whose only home
was a farm wagon containing a few
OF the most cherished possessions.
on the evening before the troops
entered the line diversions were pro
vided for them. The regimental
panos played in almost every town
where troops We're billeted, and they
played the latest American tunes
brought over to them. Thousands of
men gathered to hear the bands even
standing in the pouring rain to listen
to the shrapnel helmeted musicians
and whistling all the tunes they
knew.
Movie Shows Provided.
ON some evenings just after dark
moving pictures have been shown in
various towns by the Y. NJ. c. A. Both
French and American films were dis
played and roars of approval greeted
we'll known moving picture actors
There were especially loud cheers for
the women stars, for the men have
been away from their wives and
sweethearts for a long time and even
the picture of American women on
the screen was appreciated vastly.
FlctureS showing scenes IN American
cities gave touch of home which
only mud-splattered American SOL
diers overseas on the eve of going into
battle could understand
The troops left for the front on
trains on which they remained for
some days. speeding through the
towns to the cheers of the French
population. Some units passed other
trains loaded with blue-clad poilus
N~~~~ScS~r|;~~-->s->~ -~-e--~~ rr|-~~s~~~