The Washington times., 1919-09-26

tie in the history Of the world.
And II is safe to say that some
time during the day hundreds OF
| thousands Of civilians throughout the
! United States will pause a minute In
| whatever they are doing. just long
! enough TO tell the man who occupies
/ the desk on his right, or the man
/ who swings a pick on his left that
/ he's very, thankful he's where he Is
/ today, and. not where he was a year
| ago, despite the high cost Of living
/ and the steel strike.
There were more troops massed
along a line which extended from the
Swiss border to the North sea a year
| ago this morning than ever were
gathered before for an advance IN
any battle Of the world. Behind
| them, placed at intervals OF a few
| feet or yards, were more guns OF ev-
| cry caliber and size than have ever
been pointed toward the enemy at
one time, before or since.
Million Men In Advance.
At 2:3O o'clock this morning a year
ago these guns began a destructive
| fire which continued for three hours.
| At $3.50 o'clock more than million
men, following a deadly barrage or
steel and fire, stalked out from the
Jump off" line, out through the
early morning mist into No Man
Land. across a line Of torn and de-
molfshed trenches-and toward Ger
many. The battle continued In one
steady advance for the British IN
| the northwest, the French to the
right OF them and the Americans 70
the extreme right. from the Meuse
to the ArEonne, until November IL
And the success Of the beglnnihs
foreshadoWed the success OF the enc
The American First Army, under
command OF Maj Gen. Hunter Llggetb
Loccupied a tventy-mile sector from
the Meuse through the Argonne.
During the first days advance they
gained seven miles and captured more
than 5000 prisoners. The success OF
the Americans was repeated by the
French, under Generals Gouraud ana
BertheIot, while the British in the
first and second days advance TOOK
more than 10000 prisoners and threat
ened Cambria.
The American soldier realized the
Importance OF the fight just about TO
begin. One division commander,
few hours before the zero" hour
sent down to every platoon com
mander an order to be read to the
men. The order stated that now was
the time for the Americans to prove
their worth; to show the world the
stuff they were made Of. 1t said
the line Of attack extended from the
border OF Switzerland on the right
to the North Sea on the left. and that
upon the Americans depended the
early ending Of the war. II ended
with the words, your country eX-
poets you to do your part" And his
tory showed how every soldier lived
up to that expectation.
Yanka on the March.
The Americans knew something
big was going to happen" long be-
fore the day OF the attack. Rushed
from the fields about St. Mihiel, ldi-
visions were marched toward the
front at night, camped in the woods
during the day. and marched forward
again in the darkness. The greatest
efforts we're made. to conceal the con-
centration OF troops from the Boche,
and no soldier was allowed TO show
himself in the open during the day.
As the ID" day approached, every BIT
Of shelter for miles back OF the front
line trenches was utilized. The
borders Of the roads, concealed from
eveT-pryinE BOche aerOplanes, lines
OF big guns, sheltered under the trees
and waiting for darkness to continue
the move forward.
At night every road became filled
with a solid line Of moving artillery
and marching infantry.
No one knew the time for the at
tack until the evening before the
I'd" day. Then the Division COM
manders, speedily assembling their
brigadiers, colonels and separate unit
commanders went over with them the
plan of attack. naming the next day
as the time for II to begin. The or
ders were quickly transferred to the
lower ranking officers and from them
TO the men, and all during last night.
year ago. divisions were quietly
moving up 10 the line Of departure.
while the rumbling OF guns gradually
grew into a roar and thunder toward
midnight.
Engineers Advance.
The Engineers went forward first.
Under cover OF darkness they Chalked
off in white tape a line along the
front line Of trenches. And as they
withdrew the Infantry-the dough
hOys'-duickly came up and took
their places along the line.
The soldier saw little but what hap
pcned directly around him.
Looking to the rear, to the right
and TO the left. as far as the eye
could see, were flashes from the hun
dreds OF guns, putting down their
destructive fire on the Germans first
lines Of defense. Above him came
the shrill, wicked shrek Of the shells,
going overhead toward the German
lines on their mission Of destruction
Looking toward the enemy nothing
could be seen save the fre from the
burst Of falling shells.
The Germans fred few shots in re-
turn. With the opening OF the Ameri-
can barrage they knew something
was up" and began withdrawing their
artillery to the rear, ready to take
up a position and protect their third
lines Of defense. For this reason.
when the zero" hour came and the
soldiers rose and began to walk for
ward, little, IL any, resistance was
met.
This Advance Different.
Many still retain the idea that IN
an advance the soldiers crouch, walt.
ing in q trench. polishing their bayo-
nets, saying their prayers and read.
ing their Bibles. When zero hour
comes, the captain says: Follow rao,
my ladE. and God bless YOU" And