The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-04-24
CHATEAU THIERRY VICTORY SAVED
 ALLIED CAUSE

New York, April 24-According to Col. R. H. c. Kelton of the general staff of the army, the repulse of the Boche at Chateau Thierry took place when Allied morale was at it's lowest ebb, when hope was almost gone, and the victory there was nothing short of miraculous in its effect on all the Entente soldiers. Colonel Kelton, who was at the time chief of staff of the Third Division of the A. E. F. and so in the thickest of the fighting, contributes his story of ''The Miracle of Chateau Thierry" to the May Cen tury.
 A series of disasters led up to Cha teau Tyhierry. Russia had made separate peace, likewise Roumania, Serbia had been overrun; the Italians were crushed and their front hal al- tered from an asset to a liability. In Colonel Kelton's words, ''The success of the Germans in the big drive in the North-Picardy in March, Fland- CTS in April-brought the Allied nor ale lower than before, and Sir Dou- glas IIaig issued an order in which he said, I've are fighting with our backs to the wall.
 "The Chateau Thierry Drive oc- cured in the last week of May, and matters looked desperate. All the big industrial concerns near Paris engaS- ed in the manufacture of ammunition and war material were moving their plants to points south of Paris as fast as available transportation would permit All government bureaus and all banks labored with records and books, securities and cash, packed and ready for flight at a moments notice The situation seemed hope less to some and serious to all.
 Finally on the evening of July 14, prisoners were captured who stated that the attack would take place that very night at midnight. The front of attack extended from the town of Gland to the Montague de Rheims. Thus it happened that the Third United States Division stood in the pathway of the Roche at the western extremity of his attack while the 42nd Division occupied the centre of the sector. The defense made by these two American Divisions on the 18th of July was of critical importance and that of the Third Division is per haps the more remarkable because 1t
 
 sectors in France, and very little even in it's training area wholly out of contact with the enemy.
 '"The defeat of this German attack and the magnificent counter offensive drive initiated on July IS may well be called the demonstration of a mir acle, for in those three days the morale of all the Allies had been born anew. The German high command was bewildered; they had counted it an easy step in their oper- ations toward Paris and ultimate vic tory. Hertling, the German Chan celIor, three days before his death, stated he was convinced on July 1, 1918, that the Allies would propose peace before September He said, We expected grave events in Paris by the 18th of July. But on the 18th the most optimistic of us knew that all was lost. The history of the world was played out in those three days"
 "As the months of 1918 passed by, and only six divisions (of Americans) were in France when the German of fensive opened, the opinion was often expressed and repeated, the Ameri- cans are too late and hope was al- most gone. But when on July Is the news was spread that green Ameri- can troops has succeeded in admin istering crushing defeat to massed German attack, the Allies suddenly found that instead of merely a prom ise for the future, they had ready at their side the reality of the American military strength. If unseasoned American troops could fight like that, then 25 divisions were available and the hope of victory and the will to conquer burned again with an un- quenchable flame, for the war could still be won"