The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-08-03
AUSTRALIANS AND
AMERICANS ARE
FULL BROTHERS
Gen. Monash Pays Great
Tribute to ValOr of Ameri-
cans Under Him on the
Hindenburg Line

London, July 0.-(Correspondence of the
Associated Press.) = Australian and
American soldiers are -"full-blood broth
ers' in the opinion of Lieut.-Gen. Sir John
Monash commander-in-ehief of the Aus
tralian forces in the war, because the
Americans were never placed in any posi-
ton, nor called lGon to perform any
duty, when, as the general expressed 1t IN
an Independence Day speech here tonight,
they did not deliver the goods"
General Monash said he first reached
this conclusion in the early dawn of the
Fourth of July, 1918, when for the first
time, Australian troops fighting side by
side with the Americans in the Somme
sector won the battle of Hamel and gave
to the allied arms the first success they
had achieved since the Germans began
their memorabilia advance on March H.
This battle was the turning point of
the war; said General Mouash. 1T was
q brilliant and unqualified success, and It's
effect upon the morale, both of the enemy
and of our own men, was electric ana
startling. 1t became the model of all
subsequent achievements in France, ana
ii paved the way for the great counter
| offensive in August
The American troops engaged the gem
eral said, were 900 men from the 33d
| division, commanded by General Jonh
|
| going training. General Monash said he
| had asked and obtained permission to
! employ 900 of the Americans in the bat
| tie of Hamal but on the eve of the pat
| tie of the permission was withdrawn
| IT passed a strenuous and exciting Pc
| Rod of two hours continued Genera.
| Monash so far as l could learn the or
der originated in some misunderstanding
at American general headquarters as u
( Of
| this division.
| Il could not afford to have my bait e
| plans ruined at the last moment by the
withdrawal of large fraction of my as
saulting infantry, so I went to my army
| commander and delivered an ultimatuns
If the Americans were not allowed 10 re-
main in the order of battle then the pat
tie in the morning would be off. Unless
decision was given by six o'clock thar
night the battle would go on with inc
Americans in it as planned. We managed
to intercept the commander-in-c hief ana
he gave the order, Garry on
'~Those LOCO Americans covered them
selves with glory, and l can pay tnen
no greater compliment than by saying
that from that day on our Australian
veterans took them to their hearts a.
full blood brothers"
General Monash declared that the l3ls
American regiment of the 33d division, II
company with the 18th Australian brlgade
fought a most gallant and successful
series of actions which resulted in IN
| capture of Chipilly Spur" when the grea
counter offensive was launched by Aus
tralians and Canadians in the Somme sec
:. tor on August s, 1918. This, he salt
made secure my left flank thereby er
- abling me to get astride of the valley
the Somme and hunt the enemy clean OF
lof it for twenty miles
% General Monash had under his comman
~ in the closing days of the war the whol
10 Second American Army corps, more ina
- GO. 900 men of the 9th and 30th America
- divisions This army, he said, overtime
Is the Hindenburg defense system at
J. most strongly defended point. III
~ share of the American divisions in thes
operations was characterized by C$ner;
j., Monash as probably the greatest sing
"a American feat of arms achieved in II
J. whole war The operations were con
If pleted on October s. he said. and 1t Wa
on that night that "the Germans thre