The daily Alaska citizen., 1920-01-15
PERSHINI'C, If' SPECIAL REPORT, SAYS AMERICAN ARMY WON VAR;
 OPERATIONS GIVEN IN DETAIL

Lorraine as the field promising the most fruitful results for the employ ment of our armies"
 Americanamia1dr,w first biood.the report shows. at passch.n'aelc Rjlg Nov. 6-lO 1917, when the nth engi- neehs joined the British in a success ful attack which was part of a general operation designed to hinder the Ger man conquest of Russia ani to pre- vent. if possible an attack on Italy or In the near east"
 So afterward. however came the collapse of Russia and the Italian de bacle at Caporetto, with the result that the enemy's legions began to gather thickly in France Allied com manders viewed the situation with frank apprehension, General Pe"sh- ing report inHcag B. and inc p.es- sure for an accelerated movement of American divisions wa7 felt from all sides. At the same time came the suggestion that American units be brigaded with French and British m order that no time 1o wasted in train ing. In this connection. the general reports
 My conclusion was that, altho tka morale of the German people and of the armies vas better than 't had been for two years. only an untoward combination of circumstances could be made effective provided n" allies secured unity of action. However, a situation might arise which would neceesltate the temporary use or au American troops In the units of on" allies for the defensive, but nothing in the situation justified the relirqujsn- ment of our firm purpose to form our own army under our own flag.
 "While the Germans were practic- ing for open warfare and concentrat- ing their most aggressive personnel in shock divisions the training of the allies was still limited to trench war fare AS our troops were being train ed for open warfare there was every reason why We could not allow them to be scattered among our allies. even by divisions. much less as re- placements, except by pressure of sheer necessity Any sort of perma- nent amalgamation would trrcyOCably commit Americas fortunes to the hands of the allies. Moreover it was obvious that the lack of hOmogoncity would render these mixed divisions difficult to maneuver and almost cer- tain to break up under stress of de feat with the consequent mutual re elimination Again, there was no doubt that the realization by the Ger man people that independent Ameri- can divisions corps, or armies were in the field with determined purpose would be a severe blow to German morale and prestige"
 General Pershine had refused ut terly to drop his plan for single American army acting army. acting under Its own flag. but consented because of the existing emergency to lend the combar divisions at h md to he p stem the German Offensivs O: forsaw may very quickly place tn" allied armies in Il serious sina:on."
 The German rush developed as e.,- pected, the report shows. but the en- emy's success was far greater than had been feared At Amiens the Brit ish were driven in on tO-KllOmeteT front; between the Oisa and Berry-au- Bac, the French lost o0 KilometerS on a 35-kilometer front in i days. And immediately the Germans utilized the Marne "a5 | defensive flank and the advance waa directed toward Paris"
 "The gravity of the 'itUation," the report st ys, 'led to the famous orders for hold E u all supply and troop shipments except 'inf4rtrv and ma chine gun units" General Foch, whO was no made gene.ilissimo esti- mated ,hat 100 Amer!",l divisions would hn p (essary for ai'iod victory" Gene"al Pershing at this time was recommending that his troops he used , to smasn the Marne nOcl-et into which the Germans had thrust themselves. He says:
 "The Marne salient was inherently I weak and offered an opportunity for counteroffensive that was obvious If successful such an operation would afford immediate relief to the allied defense, would remove the threat l against Paris. free the Paris-Nancy l railroad But, more important than all else, it would restore the morale f of the allies and remove the profound depression and fear then existing. Up l to this time our units had been put In here and there at critical points r as emergency troops to stop the terri fic German advance. In every trial, 3 whether on the defensive or offensive, , they had proved themselves equal to 3 any troops in Europe. As early as