The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1919-01-09
tide is TURNED BY
AMERICAN ARMY
FURIOUS ATTACK AT CHATEAU
THIERRY STARTED CRUMBLE
OF HUN ARMY.
EYEWITNESS TELLS STORY
DESTRUCTION OF PARIS SAVED
BY MARROW MARGIN SAYS
OTTO Nj. KAHN.

Der IL, otto ii. kahn, OF New York, a
German, who has been doing valiant
work for Americas cause, described
the battle of Chateau Thierry and
Belleau Wood, which he claimed
first turned the tide in favor of the
Allies. We make the following ex-
tracts from his thrilling recital:
Where the Tide Turned.
''It is the general impression that
the tide of victory set in with Mar
shall Foch's splendid movement
against the German flank on July Is.
That movement, it is true, started
the irresistible sweep of the wave
which was destined to engulf and de-
stroy the hideous power of Prussiap-
ism. But the tide which gathered
and drove forward the waters out of
which that wave arose, had turned
before. 1t turned with and through
the supreme valor of our Marines
and other American troops in the
first battle. of Chateau Thierry and
at Belleau Wood, in the first week of
June.
"The American force engaged was
small, measured by the standard of
numbers to which we have become
accustomed in this war, but the sto-
~ of their fighting will remain i'm
mortal and in it's psychological and
stragetic consequences the action
will take rank, 1 believe, among the
decisive battles of the war.
81 am not speaking from hearsay.
I was in France during the week
preceding that battle, the most anx-
ious and gloomy period, probably, of
the entire war. What am about to
relate is based either on authorita-
tive information gathered on the
spot, or on my own observations. In
telling it, nothing is farther from my
thoughts than to wish to take away
one title from the immortal glory
which belongs to the Allied armies,
nor from the undying gratitude
which we owe to the nations who
for four heart-breaking years, with
superb heriosm, fought the battle of
civilization, no less than theirs-and
bore untold sacrifices with never fall
tering spirit.
Just Before the Tide Turned.
'On the 9th of last May, the Ger
mans broke through the French po-
sitior at the Chemin DIES France, a
position which had been considered
by the Allies as almost impregnable.
They overthrow the French as they
had overthrow the British two
months earlier. Day by day they
came nearer to Paris; until only
thirty-nine miles separated them
from their goal. A few days more
at the same rate of advance, and Pa
ris was within range of the German
guns of terrific destructive power.
Paris, the nerve center of the Frencl
railroad system and the seat of many
French war industries, not only
but the very heart of France, far
more to the French people in its
meaning and traditions than merely
the capital of the country; Paris il
imminent danger of ruthless bonn
bardment like Rheims, in possible
danger even of conquest by the bru-
tai invader, drunk with lust and with
victory! AS one Frenchman express
ed it to me: we felt in our faces
the very breath of the approaching
beast
"And then, suddenly out of the
gloom flashed the lightning of a new
sword, sharp and mighty, sword
which had never been drawn except
for freedom, a sword which has new
er know defeat - the Sword of
America!
The Turning of the Tide.
ga division of Marines and other
American troops were rushed to the
front as desperate measure to try
and stop a gap where flesh and blood,
even when. animated by French he
roism, seemed incapable of further
resistance. They came in trucks, in
cattle cars, by any conceivable kind
of conveyance, crowded together like
sardines. They had had little food,
and less sleep, for days.
"When they arrived, the situation
had become such that the French
command advised, indeed ordered,
them to retire. But they and theil
brave General would not hear Of it
They disembarked almost upon the
field of battle and rushed forward,
with little care for orthodox battle
order, without awaiting the arrival
of their artillery, which had been un-
able to keep up with their rapid pass
age to that front.
"They stormed ahead, right through
the midst of retreating French divi-
sion, yelling like wild Indians, ar
dent young, irresistible in their fury
of battle. Some of the Frenchmen
called out well-meant warning:
Don't go in this direction. There
are the boches with machine guns"
They shouted back: That's where
we want to go. That's where we
have come three thousand miles to
co. And they did go, into the very