Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-10-26
Camouflage Attack by Mythical X Army
 Was One of Features of Last Days of
 ArgOnne; How Germans "FelP' for Fake

With the American Forces 1T Germany, Oct. 1, (By the Associated Press. )-Tricks of the game of wal are coming to light from time te time as each side tells it's story. One of the most successful of them was practiced by American forces in the Meuse-Argonne battle last fall, wher the last great allied offensive was at it's height froN Switzerland to the sea. An imaginary army conceived by handful of American junior of ficers was "thrown into the field' over night and for days five crack German divisions just east of Verdur in the Etain region were kept on their toes momentarily expecting an attack which never materialized.
 At dinner table in Coblenz cafe overlooking the Rhine, an American intelligence officer recently told the story of the creation of the "mythic- al X army" as it was called. It ap- pears that the Germans were expect ing an attack in the Etain sector at any time, and the Americans knew it; but at that phase of the game the First United States army was devot- ing it's energies to driving the ene- my out of the Argonne forest and the hill country on either side. So the mythical army was created, in preference to real diversion, requir- ing many men, to convince the Ger man commander that it would not be wise to weaken the Etain front to the benefit of the Meuse-Argonne front, where desperate battle was proceed ing.
 Germans "Fell."
 Five fresh divisions had been placed by the Germans on the Etain line. These constituted their last and finest reservoir of available di- visions. The Americans realized that the minute the Germans decided that this was not danger point, any or all of the five divisions could be withdrawn, replaced by exhausted from the battle fronts, and that the appearance of the fresh troops in line west of the Mouse would have tremendous effect on the American offensive.
 The TX army" was assigned to a front from Bezonvaux to Fresnes From the morning of October g un- til just previous to the armistice this army "functioned." Captain Charles H. Matz of Hubbard Woods, H.. was commander in chief. Captain Will liam H. Dearden of Springfield, Mass, and Washington, D. C.. was chief of staff. Lieutenant John H. Graham of Lexington, Va., was chief flo "troop movements; Captain o. w. Neidert was in charge of G-1, or administration: and Lieutenant H. T. Criswold, of Old Lyme, Conn.,, was chief of artillery. The staff of the X army were all members of the in- telligence section of the first army and of course, before beginning oper- ations, had secured the consent of their chief, Colonel Wiley Howell.
 The wireless and the telephones were freely used to convince the Ger mans that the Americans were pre- pairing for an attack in the Etain sector. To make sure that the Ger mans would be able to "break into" the code used the Americans furnish ed them with a satisfactory key.
 One wireless station of the X dIIuV. was oSEaDllSneQ III clump or woods near Verdun and was christ ened headquarters of the X army" This station functioned until the end of the game, all "orders" to the army going out from this place by wireless. Soon after the station began workine the Germans located it's whereabouts and frequently she'll cd the woods and vicinity. apparentlv in hopes of breaking up the radio of this latest of annoyances.
 Details Complete.
 The X army also had a portable radio station, which moved about and represented itself as a different station every day or two.
 The sector in which the X army