Charlevoix county herald., 1919-08-22
OUR DOUCHBoYS
DELIVERED GOODS
Australian Commander in Chief
lauds Americans.
They MADE GOOD EVERY Time
General Monash Calls His Men and
Americans "FulI Blood Brothers"
After 1918 Fighting-Prases Work
of Yanks in Battle of Hamel, Which
He Declares Was Turning Point Of
War-Won Much Glory.

Australian and American soldiers
are "full blood brothers." in the opin-
ion of Lieut.. Gen. Sir John Monash,
commander in chief of the Australian
forces In the war, because the Ameri-
cans were never placed in any posi-
ton, nor called upon to perform any
duty, when, as the general expressed
1T, they did not deliver the goods"
General Monash said he first reached
this conclusion in the early dawn Of
July 4, 1918. when for the first time
Australian troops, fighting side by side
with the Americans in the Somme Sec
tor. won the battle of Hamel and gave
to the allied arms the first success
they had achieved since the Germans
began their memorable advance on
March 81.
"This battle was the turning point
of the war" said General Monash. ut
was a brilliant and unqualified sue
cess, and Its effect upon the morale
both of the enemy and of our own men
was electric and startling. 1t became
the model Of all subsequent achieve
ments In France, and 1t paved the way
for the great counter-Offensive In Au-
gust.
Thirty-thlrd Division Men.
The American troops engaged, the
general said, were 1000 men from the
| Thirty-third division, commanded by
| Gen. John Bell The Thlrty-third d.
vision was then undergoing training.
| General Monash said he had asked and
obtained permission to employ 1000
| Of the Americans In the battle OF
| Hamel, but on the eve Of the battle
! the permission was withdrawn.
81 passed a strenuous and exciting
| period of two hours" continued Gen.
eraI Monash. $50 far as I could learn
the order originated in some misun-
derstanding at America general head
quarters as to the state of prepared
ness for battle of this division.
| II could not afford to have my
| battle plans ruined at the last moment
| by the withdrawal of large fraction
Of my assaulting infantry, so I went
to my army commander and delivered
an ultimatum: If the Americans were
not allowed to remain In the order of
battle then the battle In the morning
would be off. Unless a decision was
| given by six o'clock that night the
battle would go on with the Americans
in 1t as planned. We managed to in
terest the commander in chief, and he
gave the order carry on
| Won Much Glory.
"Those 1000 Americans covered
themselves with glory, and I can pay
them no greater compliment than by
saying that from that day on our Aus
tralian veterans took them to their
hearts as full-blooded brothers."
General Monash had under his com.
mand in the closing days of the wal
the whole Second American army
corps. more than 10000 men Of the
Twenty-seventh and Thirtieth Ameri
can divisions. This army. he said
overthrow the Hindenburg defense
system at its 'most strongly defended
point" The share of the American
divisions In these operations was
characterized by General Monash as
probably the greatest single Ameri
can feat Of arms achieved in the whole
war" The operations were completed
on October 8, he said, and itswas OIL
that night that ''the Germans threw uI
the sponge and declared their willing
ness to make peace on our owl
terms"