The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-08-09


 For a couple of hours before the time set for the march to start. Washington Square again presented the same scenes as when the 27th and the 77th Divisions came back for their triumphal honors at the hands of the city.
 The men, who had been brought in from Camps Merritt and Mills and quartered in several of the state ar rnories over night, were marched to the square soon after luncheon and assembled there long before o'clock when the parade was scheduled to start from the arch.
 They were in full battle kit, with steel helmets and light battle packs their heavy olive drab uniforms were decidedly uncomfortajbly in the mid day heat, but they bore the discomfort like the veterans they are and there was little grunYbling.
 Washington Square and the streets radiating from it were thronged with people, and many of the houses and big business places in and about the square and along the avenue were hung with flags.
 Thousands in the square mingled with the troops, and Knights of Co., lumbus secretaries and other wei fare workers were busy handing out cigarettes and candy during the long wait.
 Men and women also mingled with the troops, and the thousands of New York men in the various units were especially singled out for at tention-
 Tn vii nf ufot to da by General Ludendorf the following contradiction of his claims and the history of the division is published:
 The General military leader said that America grossly overrated the performance of her troops in halting and turning back the German hordes northwest of Chateau Thierry on the road to Paris in June, 1918. Five fresh American divisions were thrown against him, said Lu- dendorfr, and he had only three worn out German divisions with which to oppse them. And these last, he add ed, were in retreat when attacked.
 But Major-Genera1 John A. Le- jeune, commanding the Second Di- cision, composed of regulars and Ma rines. thus gives the lie to Luden- dorff:
 Instead of five American N-
 visions, there was only one-the
 Second.
 Instead of three German di-
 visions, the Second fought
 against ten.
 Instead of being fresh, the
 Second entered the fight after
 forced marching and with little
 food under its belt.
 Instead of being in retreat
 when the Americans came up, the
 German divions were flushed
 with victory. with the spearhead
 of their terrific thrust closer to
 Paris than at any time since
 1914. and, in fact, were so victor
 ious that the French had melted
 away before them and left a
 seven-mile gap in the line held
 only by scattered units.
 Tt was into this gap that the Sec ond Division was thrown said Gen eral I+ejeune in an interview. That gap was northward of Chateau-Thier- ry. directly in the path to Paris. It included fortified hills held by the Germans. the Bois de BeIleau, be- lieved impregnable, and important fortified towns such as vaux and Bou- resches.
 For forty days without any letup the regulars and marines fought along this front, capturing the hills and towns and clearing Belleau { Wood"
 At the end of this forty days the | Second was sent into reserve with the Marne River behind them, July 10. Six days later they were ordered to | start on the move once more. [ They believed they were headed for a rest area but the officers knew ! better They were headed for the vicinity of Soissons. up along the side | of the German spearhead. And July IS. in company with the First Dfvi- sion. A. E. F.. and the First Moroccan ! Division of the French army, which I included the Foreign Legion, they | were thrown in a surprise attack against the Germans that kept up for ! two days dug a seven-mile hole ir | the German line, and forced German | withdrawal horse, foot. and guns from the entire salient comprised be- ! tween Soissons and Rheims on the i sides and Chateu-Thierry at the bot | tom of the sack.
 l Germans Poured In. | "As for the number of German di- ' visions we encountered there," said General Leteune, we cannot De en- tirely certain. At first we met only | what the Germans had in the line | but they hurried up everything they had until it seemed to us the whole , German army was there. That" he declared eTnphatically will live in coming years in sons | and story. It will be immortal | First. the Second Division at Bellear Wood had stopped the German | march on Paris. Then at Soissons | together with the First and it: | French comrades. 1t had broken the | German line for the first time in th' | war with the exception of the Brit ish break at Cambrai that had so dis | astrous n reaction.
 | The German menace was ended | once and for all. The spectre O. | German invincibility was shattered | Al, T-,,re ranc with the news.