El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-11-22

3 OF me EGEal4 III Europe curing inc wal
4 and after. Excerpts viii be published In
Z this column daily during the next several
] months Publication Of the Notes be-
J gan October Is Tcday'a inetalment be-
I gins the general narrative from the diary.
MARCH q, 1918, the great German
/ W drive toward Amiens and Paris
began. The Germans gained
I ground rapidly in the west and south
I Within ten days they had reached a
/ line only nine miles from Amiens. the
fighting went on with unprecedented
! severity, the French and British fell
| back steadily all along the line of the
I big salient, and it looked as if nothing
was going TO stop the Germans.
The battle kept up through March,
/ April, and May, the Germans gaining
| enormous areas and threatening to
break the British and French lines of
communication in the west and euvelop
Paris. As late as June no effectual
counter move had developed on the side
Of the allies.
The British were fighting desperately
with their backs against the wall, !"
the narrow strip between their defen-
sive lines and the sea becoming ever
narrower, while the French seemed I'M
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south and southwest.
These were perilous days. France
had appealed passionately to the United
States for men and more men, Eng
land was equally insistent that Ameri-
can forces IN vast numbers must come
and come quickly If Europe was TO be
saved from a dictated peace On Ger
manyis terms.
Up to the end Of Nay the United
States had sent 30 900 men oversees.
but many Of these were not comhatant
troops. As late as the end OF March
1918 only six combat divisions were
in France; at the end Of April. eight
divisions; at the end of May, II divi-
sions, about AZ. 200 men.
June the Goth division began to
move to the seabOard, and It was
numbered within the first 1000 000 to
reach France. The Goth was the 22d
division to reach France, the 18th 70
be thrown into active battle service,
was in the line" for 7s DAYS TO the
end Of the war, served in Germany
in the army of occupation, and was
one Of the last divisions to leave for
home.
Over half the total battle casualties
Of the American army in the war were
sustained by eight divisions, and the
goth was one Of the eight. The goth
division had nearly 10000 battle cas-
ualties, which amounted TO about 25
percent Of combat electives per month
Tor the time in action. OF the same
rate as the LIST division (which lost
$4,000.
At the time the Goth went overseas,
the transport was rising TO the rate
of 10000 q day which was actually
reached in July. The convoy system
was working inteusively. Interest was
at fever heat over most Of the country
in the rapid movement Of troops to
the seaboard- It was universally felt
that the crisis had been reached and
that the decision would depend on the
developments Of that summer Of 1918
in France. The troops going over knew
that hard service was ahead.
y June 191s-We leave Camp Travis
for the port Of embarkation, after
crowded busy DAYS Of preparation, 4
packing, marking and uumarking bag
gage, doing and undoing, in accordance [
with the steady rain of orders from on I
high. Our train is self contained, |
pullmaus for officers, tourists for the 4
men, meals served in the cars en- route. l
10 June 191s-Tmough Oklahoma. 4
Much enthusiasm displayed BY people |
in towns we pass through. A smiling /
land.
Il June 191s-Through Missouri BY /
way Of Kansas City and Hannibal.
IS June 1918-Through Indiana and /
Ohio. No particular demonstrations /
but people friendly.
16 June 191s-Through New York .
state on Erie railway At Chautauqua I
Lake, Olean. Elmira, everywhere, !
crowds Of people are out this sunny
Sunday. waving welcome and farewell, /
shouting, and giving flowers, cakes,
and even Ice cream to the soldiers.
Certainly no lack Of appreciation
among the stay-at-homes for the men
going across. Soldiers exchange names
with pretty girls along the way and
al promise to write often. Everything
IS free TO the soldiers. Young people
gay and laughing, older ones smile
quietly or look a little sober. Old men
and women cling to officers and sol
Tiers ard ask news Of some relative
3r friend who was supposed to be sin
Texas" Considerable romance seems
70 attach to the Texas soldiers up here
IN the far east. Men pat the soldiers
IN the back, and advise them TO get
he kaiser The soldiers solemnly
promise. It is a sort Of triumphal
procession already, and anyhow there is
10 lack Of enthusiasm and patriotic
Inspiration in all this.
II june 191s-Arrive Camp Mills, Z.
{, by way Of Jersey City and long
euy trip and Long Island railroad
arrive at night, and some little con ]