, 1919-01-02

val Woods, protected by u barrage the
accuracy of which was carefully check
ed by experienced German aviators fly
ing overhead. The attack fell upon the
II II Bird Battalions of the 18th In
fantry. But, calamity though they adj
vanced, the enemy made the error of
following h barrage at a distance of
about 200 meters instead of 80 meters.
The artillery fire passed over the
American front line and gave he in
fantry a chance to get into action be-
fore the assaulting line was upon them.
Waiting until the latter was within 100
yards, the Americans opened fire with
n burst of flame, and in a moment
the Germans were fleeing toward
Framecourt Wood, leaving upon the
ground not less than 0 killed and
wounded.
But, though the attack was thus de-
c~isively repulsed, it was only the first
of six successive attacks which were
launched within the next As hours.
As each was repulsed, h enemy be-
came more eXasperated, more desperate
in his efforts to retake the lost posi-
lions.
1t was not only that they were of
value to him in themselves; the ac-
cumulating evidence of the dash and
uc-ScdiiScS VI ilC hlle lCdI lIOODS ds
they continued to maintain themselves
triumphantly against the utmost efforts
that their Anniversaries could make was
giving the lie so plainly to the German
thesis that II American troops were
no good and never could be a good
that it vas impossible for the American
effort ever to become a decisive factor
in the var that the enemy dared not
let them retain their advantage. If
they did retain it, the news was. sure
to leak out to the German army and
people and to strike a chill of forebod-
ing to their hearts as they thought of
the millions of other equally sturdy
Americans who were on their way to
France, i'll fact or potentially.
SO, for two narrowing days the en-
envy continued to smother Cantigny in
shell fire and gas and to hurl the best
troops he could gather upon the stub
born American line. But, from colo
nels to privates, the men who had come
$500 miles across the sea to fight for
human freedom and their own outrag-
ed rights upon Il foreign soil stood firm
ly to their task, IL it. was here that
Such men Us Lieut.-Col. MaXey, who,
MORALLY wounded, continued to direct
the movements of his men until he died.
Corporal Robert Finnigan. who. also
MORALLY wounded. concealed the fact
and encouraged his squad and fired his
automatic until exhausted from loss of
blood and Lieut.. Clarence Drumm, who
walked up and down the lines to en-
courage his men under the terrific fire
until he was struck by Il she'll. They
give to their own names the immortal
ity of heroism and to American history
fresh examples of the valor of the race
to place beside those of Lexington, the
Alamo, and the Wilderness.
At length after As hours of night
mare. the German attempts relaxed.
Convinced by the loss of about 500 men
killed, o wounded and pa prisoners
captured, II the loss of several pieces
of light and heavy caliber artillery,
many machine guns and rifles and a
great quantity of ammunition and ma
terial that no sacrifice would recover
their lost positions, and that the moral
effect of the situation upon their own
troops and people must be discounted
by other means, if possible, the Ger
mans settled back II their new lines,
which they continued TO hold until fore
ed from them by the great Allied coun-
ter-offensive of mid-July.
Opposite to them, the LIST Division
remained on the ground its arms had
won until the night of July 80, when
it was at last relieved by French troops
and sent back for a few brief days of
rest before going into a sector where it
was to win for itself fresh and even
greater laurels on the fields of the
Marine salient, between Scissors and
Chateau-Thierry.
But at Cantigny it had taught to the
world the significant lesson that the
American soldier was fully equal to the
soldier of any other nation on the field
of battle. Who can estimate the extent
of the subtle influence which this proof
exerted upon the gigantic armies locked
i'll battle along the Western front,
heartening the warriors of the Allies,
d~ismaying those of the Central Powers.
as they struggled literally for the mas
terry of the world upon the fields of the
Marine and Picardy and Flanders dur
ing h weeks of June II July, 1915
perhaps h most momentous weeks in