The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-18
ArgOnne Action a Piece of Poll
ties, Capt. TillOtsOn Says.
Returned Officer Charges Work
of Men "Higher Up"
TELLS OF 10th ENGINEERS
TOpeka's Company A Heroic
Facing Terrific Fire.
He Says Wilson Represents the
Socialists of France.


! That General Martin, former COM
manding officer of the 35th division,
was the victim of petty politics of the
smallest and meanest variety was the
| opinion Capt. Luther Tillotson, COM
manding officer of Company A, of the
/ 10th engineers, expressed today noon
in speech at the Chamber of Com
merce. Captain TillOtson asked the
question, why should a man be con-
sidered good enough to be allowed to
care for division thru the formative
or training period, and then on the
eve OF entering a great battle be re-
moved from the command of troops
with whom he has grown familiar and
who have come to know, respect and
have the greatest confidence in his
ability?" Not only would tactics of
that sort be poor business but even
more so from a military standpoint it
was poor move and one which would
| tend to cause apprehension in the
hearts of all the men who had come
to believe in their commander and his
desire to take care of them" he said.
Captain Tillotson talked to the as
Sc mbled crowd as tho he was visiting
in their homes and in the course of a
little visit telling them the story of
the fight-one of the biggest and
hardesct actions in history, in which
try participated.
Battle of Argonnc.
He took the history of the 10th en-
glneers from the time they started
on their Way--to France; he told of
the trip across the sea; he spoke of
the landing in France and the interest
ing occurrences when the bows made
their acquaintance with France and
especially with French TRANSFORMATION.
Thru France he led them closer to
the big action along the Hindenburg
1ne; FINALLY they entered the great
confllct at the Argonne. The descrip-
ton of the terrible strain of the awful
action the division participated in at
the forest of Argonne held the assem-
ply IN breathless suspense and was
decidedly realistic in its vividness.
Brave Topeka Boy.
He told of many incidents charac-
teristic of the bravery and the in
tenseness with which the American
douShboys did what to them was only
their duty. The stroy of Sergt. Don
Rees of Topeka, who in cooperation
with machine gunner was enjoying
an afternoon sniping German machine
gunners, is highly indicative of the
spirit of the division. Sergeant Reese
spotted boche machine guners by the
exceedingly simple process of walking
around and letting them practice
craftsmanship on his body. When
they opened on him his own machine
gunner cracked down on them and
was usually successful in picking them
off, as the German machine gunners
were incapable of firing one or two
shots at time as the Amerisan guns,
but rained spray of bullets all over
the country each time they opened.
Wilson in France.
When asked hokw President Will
son was regarded by the French, Cap
tain Tillotson replied that he was re-
Sarded as the representative of the
great common people-the peasant
class or the socialistic element of
population could be divided into three
classes-the aristocrats. the middle
class and the peasants. The middle
class were trying to clumb into the
aristocrat class and the aristrocrats
were supposed to take care of the
peasant class but had been practically
wiped out both as a body and finan-
cially during the war. The middle
class suffered practically the same
fate Hence the peasant class were
better off than any other class in
France.
They had seen and heard a lot of
brave men. but President Wilson was
the first man to take the stand which
meant something to them as an ex-
preston of what they could expect in
the chances of bettering their own po-
sltlons during the period of recon-
struction to follow the war For this
reason President Wilson is regarded
as the prophet and the prime leader
IN all things that will mean a bigger
and better France in which the peas
ant class may come to have a position
as factor of greater Importance
which is in accord with socialistic
tendencies which now pervade Europ~
to greater extent than ever before