South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-09-17

army the nation created 20 make
certain the utter defeat OF German
dreams Of world conquest
Marching IN mass formation and
/ equipped with all the guns. gas
! throwers and countless other death
J dealing devices Of front line ser
vice. the First division, fresh home
/ from France. moved along the broad
I avenue, a living tide or s1nburned
fighting manhood that filed the
street from curb 10 curb In their
/ khaki and olive drab uniforms. the
men swung by as resistiesslv as the
| spring foods OF the AIississippi.
/ Above each solid block OF infantry.
( rose the grim line OF bavonets. the
/ blued steel glinting duly as il
caught the light Farther back
came the long lines Of field guns.
French "75's" 10 which French o.
ficers have said France owes her sal
Walton and, after all the trains and
wagons had rumbled by. came = bat
talon Of tanks. streaked and yei-
| lowed with paint 10 conceal them
/ from enemy eyes. but now growing
and clanking their way behind the
! troops IN noisy response 10 the
! cheers that greeted them.
All branches Of Army.
There was nothing lacking 10
make the parade an epitome or the
whole vast army American skill and
indomitable will had created 70 meet
and beat the enemy ar his own
game There were guns OF all the
! types used in France that could be
moved through the streets. Machine
/ guns, big and little, bristled among
the rifemen. squat morttars to hurt
bombs from the trenches: high
mounted rifles which peered sky
ward as though stul in search ot
/ enemy flyers Some or the guns
were horse-drawn. some trundled
behind painting motor trucks OF
tractors. The show was complete
as the ingenuity Of the war depart
ment could make il. a cross section
of the American expeditionary fore
es.
\ Marked Contrast.
But Il was 70 the lines OF kakhi-
clad, brown faced men themselves
that first interest Of the thronging
crowds ali along the wide avenue
( turned The home coming OF this
6rst unit Of American man power
TO cross the 81 bmarine- infested seas
was in marked contrast 10 it's silent,
mysterious. unreported departure.
and the men and women along The
way seemed 20 feel the significance
Of the spectacle. They recalled the
days when the nation waited in
wordless anxiety 70 hear that these
same smiling free-striding boys
had come safely 20 a French har-
Dor. those other DAYS when the first
word filtered back that the boys had
begun 20 prove their courage IN
action and the slow coming lists
that carried the names OF tho men
who sleep forever in France
Unusual Honor.
To one regiment Of long trim
"75's" an unusual honor was accord
ed. The Sixth field artillery was
placed between the two infantry
brigades instead OF marching with
the rest OF the artillery brigade be-
hind the infantry. for ir was e bait
I:ery Of the Sixth which fired the FIRST
shot at the Germans on Oct -.
I1917 A standard told the onlookers
that az last they saw the very guns
whose thunder had carried that frst
message of defeat into the enemy
ranks
Throughout the long line markers
. were frequent telling what the
strange implements OF war over
. which they aoated were used for.
Among the watchers were thousands
upon thousands Of government
: clerks who have dealt for months
7 with endless streams OF papers tallc-
s ing Of bombs and guns and mortarS
s OF motor machine shops p-ntooa
bridges. machine guns. gas throw
= ers. flame projectors and AN the
? other complicated war equipment %
the troops Never before have these
P workers az home seen ai these tools
b of warfare in the.r own Wsrlike sef-
ting however. and ths parade was
an educsSl--> - 49,