Evening star., 1919-03-09

o.te ethfiS II Wofked perfectly,
The soreeants passed the word
The caps all right The men had
confidence. We went through the
treacherous Spit2enbachen forest, lay
along canal took enemy's fire, re.
turned il, located enemy strong points
and Just outmaneuvered them, We
got through with seven casualties and
captured five minnenweferS and
twenty-one machine guns"
Here is. perhaps the other extreme.
1t is an affair which is coming up
tn Congress. let the captain tell
his side of it verbatim
Il was on The -------- river. at the
---~"---- drive aud we We're hiding a po-
sItion two miles i'll front OF any Ameri-
can troops, with both II railroad con-
troiled by the Germans and river
which had no bridge behind us. There
We're two companies of us. We had
no troops on our right or on our
left. The first night our regiment
Went in there they put in battalion
OF $50 men. They had $50 left in the
morning, The colonel protested
against The position, He was relieved
on the spot (disgraced).
Il Went in with the second battalion
TO observe, before | went un with my
company. The Germans put barrage
on us for six hours and out of 800 men
in the two companies. there were
forty seven left in the morning. We
were compelled 10 fan back to the
river.
~ brought my company MP then aud
three captains myself and two
others) decided to fall back to the
heights about two miles in the rear
and there take position similar to
what the Germans We're holding
(Which was what the canned colonel
had wanted to do). After that. re-
ported to battalion headquarters.
hey told me that the battalion
was going to attack in the morning,
and that l was to return to the river,
This was about ] AM, and the po-
sition had been evacuated about four
hours. returned there and was
compelled to form my company in
hollow square, facing four ways, be-
cause we We're surrounded. Our bar
rage started at 8 am, at which time
the three other companies of the
battalion were supposed to be formed
behind my company, to make an at
tack at $50 am. to recover the lost
position. At 4;30 the barrage stop
ped, None of the other companies
had shown up. ] waited until $50
am, and then went over with forty
men. recaptured the lost position and
six machine guns. which we had lost
machine guns and about twenty-fiy
prisoners. The rest of the battalion
then came up ! was put in COM
mand We reoreanized the position
and | stayed there for four DAYS Our
losses were about ESQ men. The bat
talon which relieved me lost SEQ men
and three of its four captains.
when ] came out of the position
my lieutenant colonel compiimented
me lie said that he would recon-
mend me for promotion and the
u. S. c. Two days later. at noon, J
was put IN command OF the bat
TALON, and at / pm. IAN hour later)
l received an order saying that ] was
relieved Of command and should re-
port to Biois.
Il went to Blois. thinking that
WAS going to promotion. At Blots
/ attended four roll calls per sday
and in due time came before a f1rst
lieutenant. who asked me why ! was
there. told him that aid not
know. He then asked me mahy qnes-
tions, always warning me that !
must tell the truth, as It would all
be checked against my official record,
was then sent to Tours aud ap-
peared before the officer In charge
of the matter at the station. had
about two minutes with him. during
which time he, read tina charges,
against ME. which We're that / could