Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-10
AMERICANS FIRST
TO PIERCE HUN LINE
Gen. Haig's Report Was So Inter
preted by London Daily
News.

London, Jan. q.-American troops
were the first to break the Hindenburg
line, according to The Daily News, in ITS
comment yesterday on the report of Field
Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, on the opcr-
ations from the end of April last to the
close Of hostilitics, which was made
public last night. The News points out
that, at least, the first mention OF a
break-through contained in the field
his description of the days work on
AMERICAN TROOPS PUSHED ON.
North of Belcnglise, the Thirtieth
American Division, Major-Gen. II. M.
Lewis, having broken through the deep
defenses of the Hindenburg line, stormed
Bellinoourt, and seized Nouroy. On their
left, the Twenty-seventh American
Division, Major-Gen. ORyan, met with
very heavy cn6lading machine gun fire
but pressed on with great gallantry as
far as .Jouv, where a bitter struggle took
place for possession of the village. The
fighting on the whole front OF the Second
American Corps was severe, and in
BellincOurt, Nouroy, Gillemont Farm,
and "A number of other points, amid the
intricate defenses of the Hindenburg
line, strong bodies of the enemy held out
with great obstinacy for many hours.
"rhese points of resistance were
gradually overcome, either by the sup
port troops of the American Divisions,
or bv the Fifth and Third Australian
Divisions.
The newspaper adds that the main
service of the field marshal's report is
to demonstrate "the unappreciatcd bril-
lance Of the achievement Of the British
forces and the magnitude of the part
PLAYED by these forces in the last great
movement.
THE risk royalty accepted by the
British commander in chief, when Mar
shal Foch arranged that defense should
give place to attack" il says, has
never vet been realized. Early in July
Crown Prince Rupprecht's army was
facing the British opposite Douai with
reserves intact, ready for the attack.
Nevertheless, Marshal Foch, anticipat-
ing an attack upon Rheims, transferred
all the eight French divisions IN Elan
ders 10 that sector, and he also had four
British divisions moved south to the
Somme. in order to enable him to trans
fer four more French divisions to his right
flank.
WHEN FoCH STRUCK.
"a few days later a further four di-
visions were asked for and duly dis
patched to the French front The Brit
ish force north OF the Somme was there
fore weakened by sixteen divisions II
| Rupprecht had struck before Foch tho
, consequences might have been alarming
but Foch struck first, and Rupprecht'
opportunity was lost forever.
The Germans might be forgiven 70
! misjudging the situation, in view of tn,
| completely successful system of camou
flage devised by Field Marshal Haig e
(, conceal his real intentions That is onl,
one of the many convincing evidence
| that in the later stages of the war, a
least, the efficiency of the British gener
alship WAS not less than the valor o
| the British troops.
What may, If the rule Of sanity an,
Justice in world affairs be established
prove the last great campaign of tn
British Army viii live in history as
campaign in which the repute of tn
British arms WAS raised TO its summit"
HIGH IRAIsE FOR FoCH.
Field Marshal Haig, in his report, pay
high tribute to Marshal Foch, an
alludes to the splendid fighting quail