New-York tribune., 1919-01-28
Why 'sFighting First'' Nerer
Gained Fame Here Revealed
Censor Mainly Responsible for Hiding " ar Record
OF "Preemyair'' American Division, Vanguard
of Pershing' Forces, and He Had Good Reason

II II IL AN EklCAN AKIN OF
OCCUPATION ON THE RHINE, Dec.
29.-Our American 1st Division-tirst
to arrive in France, first to enter the
trenches, first to take village in
Americas name and first in many
things IS just beginning to learn the
ms and outs of why its wonderful
lighting record has been so long and
so consistently withheld from the great
American public.
Here on the Rhine, as part Of the
Sd American Army guarding the Amer
.can bridgchead, the 1st Division has
just had the chance to talk it over
thoroughly with American war CORE
spoudents. In word, the 1st Division
is a little jealous, and in a nutshell
the paint runs something like this:
Question What has the 1st Divi-
sion done in this war, anyway?
Answcr-lt has done lot-been
here longest, never failed to take an
objective, fought in every battle and
has done lot of marvellous lighting.
Question Well, why haven you
correspondents given US all the pub
licty that you've given chose marines
and "that Rainbow OUTFIT and some
others we've been hearing about?
That's what we'd like to know.
Answer The censor.
Censor Had Reason
And the censor's legitimate reply,
now that the war is practically over,
is, "Ordcrs from general headquar-
ters.' And if general headquarters
were called upon to-day for its reason
for hiding the fighting 1st Divisions
combat record under the proverbial
bushcl, it would reply, "The German
intelligence system
For, beginning with thc hectic days
when the American 1st Division en-
tered the European war arena, there
began combat of wits between the
Intelligence divisions Of the American
army and the German military machine
regarding American military strength
in France.
To have announced openly in Ameri-
can newspapers on June 27 1917, when
l
Decentralization at st. Nazalre, that
"America's 1st Division has arrived in
France" would have given the enemy
d clear basis for future calculations on
our numerical strength. They knew
that an American division numbered
approximately 27,000 men.
"Frst Troops" in France
Therefore, cables and even mail sto-
rics that went back to America about
our historic first arrivals mentioned
simply that "Amcrica's first troops had
landed on French SOIL" and left the
Germans to guess whether these
troops" numbered 5000, 10000 or
10000 men. Again, on July 4, 1917,
when the ID Battalion Of the 10Th In
fantry Regiment paradod through
Paris streets, amid enthusiastic ac-
carnations from crowd which almost
cqualled that which greeted President
Wilson there recently, American news
paper spondents, for that matter
were allowed to mention nothing IN
dicating either the unit or numbers.
To American newspaper readers, and
to those throughout the world for that
matter. dispatches began something
like this:
"smercan troops paradcd through
Paris streets to-day, acclaimed by
great crowds. Parisians showered
them with flowers. 1t is the first time
in history that American troops, on
holligerent mission, have paraded
through the streets Of Il European
capital"
The remainder of the story was
about the crowds; how the troops
looked and acted, but it gave the Ger
man intelligence system nothing
Went Into Training
Then the 1st Division, which had
made big history for America twice
within a few days, left Paris and the
French Atlantic seaboard for Eastern
France for training. Here again, so
far as the world and the German in
telligence system were concerned, it
remained "American troops
As "American troops" it was first to
enter the trenches. first 20 fire hostile
shot. first to repulse a German raid.
first to lose man and Kill enemies in
actual combat, first to take an enemy
town in Americas name (Cantigny),
and first in other things, aside from