Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-02-21
TRAUB DENIES MEN
IN ARGONNE KILLED
BY OWN ARTILLERY
Com m a ander Of Kansas
Troops Replies to Gov
ernor Aliens Charges.
ASSERTS HIS, SOLDIERS
WERE NOT NEGLECTED
lntimates That Misdirected Fire
Came From Other Than
American Guns.
SAYS AIRPLaNES on GUARD
Tells House Rules Committee Ayia-
tors Answered Calls Promptly
and Drove on Huns.
ASSERTS HIS, SOLDIERS
WERE NOT NEGLECTED.
SAYS AIRrLANEs on GUARD
Tells House Rules Committee Ayia,
tors Answered Calls Promptly
and Drove OF Huns.

u'hlai ihat the men OF the Thirty-ffth
Army Division were slaughtered by
tho misdirccted fire Of their own ar,
tiiieT?' IN the battle OF Argonnc
Forest, was made to the House Rules
Committee today by Iator- General
Peter Il. Traub, who commanded that
division OF Kansas end Missouri Ma
tional Guard troops IN ,ha, battle
Notwithstanding that his voice was
husky from the effects OF being Sasscd
frc times during the lighting in
France. General rraub painted n vivid
picture Of the Argonnc battle for tho
Eou3c committee and culogiIcd the
men under his command for accom-
pl!shing In three days what the French:
had failed TO do in three years"
Charges made by Governor Henry !.
Alien. OF kansas, who was in charge
"t :. NJ. G. y. work with the division.
in speech before tho Kansas Lcgis-
laturc, and repea,cd cariy this week
before the House Rules Committee. that
Americans were killed by their own
neglected, that troops were improperly
clothed and poorly fed. ami. and tina:
the whole military structure fell
down" were denied IN toto By General
ISSUE or VEItACITI
THREATENS TO ARISE
The issue OF vcracity between Gov
srnor Allen and General T-aub threat
Hcd to arise at one time. Representa-
I've Campbell, OF Kansas. author OF a
resolution directing an inquiry into
Governor Aliens charges. had asked
General Traub what he cared TO say
about these charges.
But who makes these chaTses?"
asked the general Governor Allen
wasn't there"
Rcminded tina, Governor Allen Claim
hsttle. Gencrat Traub explained that
even, before 81 Mihie,. which pre-
ceded the hat,le OF the Arsonne; he
'wenty- three Y. NJ. G. y. assistants go
tr the rear.
'possibly Governor Alien came Up
,oui Officially &c had no business
there"
4 little later. he told the committee,
tha. he had a hszy rScolicc,iond @ dsns..- OF naT-
station for the wounded during the oa;
tic. and. therefore. would rot nay posi-.
;iycly that he was not near me 'front.'
during the lighting.
FEARED Y. NJ. c. a. WORKERS
WOULD .1II"' GERMANS
lie gave "a his reason for sending
tho Y. NJ c.. 4. workers TO the rear
the fear that they might he the means
lion TO the enemy through German
sympathizcrs in the CIVILIAN popU!ace
General Traub replied to the charge
,bat The losses of the division were
,hnormallv and unnecessarily heavy
by declaring tina; in his opinion the
the theft fac, that for five days and nights
: Inc division fought against the best
the tho boche had" and the results
achieved were taken into consideEa
ton OF the enemy lines distance OF
ilvc and a half miles. the capture or
900 prisoners and twenty-iour cannon
and forty-fivc machine guns.
all the time, General Traub said. In
fact, he regarded the position held By
on on The ba,tle line. fIc said the best
information he could re; was that the
division los. 500 Killed and $500
wounded. The large majority were
this with Grants loss of 10000 men
in ten minutes, at Cold Harhor, which
accomplished nothing. while we ,c-
compiished a vcry great deal he de-
clared.
DENIES HUNS DOMINATED
AIR IN DIG BATTLE
Tho charges that the Germans domi-
mated the air throughout the battle
cannot be sustained. General Traub de-
cIarcd OF course. he said. it was i'm
possible to. prevent individual planes
trickling through the allied air de-
tense and he described how, for near
~ half an hour. he was under the
Gro Of hochc aerial machine gun
ncr. but escaped unhurt
and VIC went back for our planes to
drive them ofr., they invariably came"
when Representative Campbe
that men Of the Thirty fifth wer.
killed by their own artillery fire. and
That an officer sent back word :. For +. !,
General Trauh renlied that he was in
t,,at barraEe. and that possibly n half
dozen shells fell on the hill where the
But they were not from American
+; runs" ne declared. He asked to be
excused from going. further into the
,he mistake was made by other allied
runners than Americans. ETe did not
Say. say and was not asked (the direct
uuestion. whether any Of the shells
killed any Americans
SAYS MEN WE'RE CARED
For AFTER BEING SHOT
As TO charges tl,nt the men were
no, properly clad, were poorly fed and
fos' fos hors e%S enera Trau5 9ssared the
committee that everything was done
that it was humanity possible to do.
q assure you that that in the n y; i;
consideration and the hest care that
was possible under the circumstances"
and Gesnfr sprt Of % the Of Ss Kansas and
Missouri under his command. ;.
mover was there inner body Of
men anywhere than ] had tho honor
10 command. They were n wonderful,
lot of soldiers who asked only to know
what to do. and they did II and did
1t WELL he said.
OF General Pcrshing, his staff and
the common soldiers. General Trnub
said:
"Thc winning OF this war was a
most stupendous task for which the
country was unprcparcd The way the
thing has sbccng handled by General
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