Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-10-23
CHAPTER VII.
THE FRENCH RETKExT.s

Then came the day Of the retreat
Retreat? Whittier? For what rea-
son? No one knew. Retreat with all
its physical strain, with all its moral
strain far harder to bear! Effort
without enthusiasm; weariness of soul
added to weariness of body. At times
the order came for us to stand and
fight. The old spirit returned. On
the Meuse and at Guise the enemy
paid the price of such awakenings.
their confidence restored, heard once
more the order to retire. To win and
to withdraw. To win and leave the
field of battle after having driven
Germans from it was cruel and re-
fined torture. hardest of all for French
men. Not once but again and again it
was inflicted upon us. We got SO that
we could no longer reason. We felt
that we were following the funeral of
France along endless roads leading
drearily towards tLe south. On Sep
tember 5, an order was read calling
on us to attack. We listened. but
faith was lacking. We said to one an-
other, I'VE are going to attack tomor-
row morning. We shall win. but to-
morrow night we shall again with
draw
We fought furiously. nevertheless,
to vent upon the Boche the rage that
was in our hearts. We kept it up that
evening-then through the night
then through the next day. We were
yery weary. but we were no longer
retreating. After two days. we found
that we were advancing. At first no
one believed it.
How could the soldier understand!
But soon the JOY of making headway
spread through the ranks-we were
advancing. OF that there could be no
doubt So we "had' them. En- avant.
In tagged and silent columns, we passed
through villages and over plains. Vic
tory was ours! Victory born in pain,
in toll. in doubt. 1t was only later
that we understood! The idea of VIC
tory pieced itself together bit by bit,
as we pushed the enemy back to the
north. We had been told to die where
we stood rather than give way. we
had been asked nothing more. But
of a sudden as we fought, we felt
within our grasp the tickle goddess OF
victory who for three weeks had elud-
ed US. We had been the army OF illu-
sions. We had been the army OF re-
treat. From now on, we were the
army of confidence. The name of
Joffre was in the hearts of his sol
diers.
But before reaching the end. we had
more than four years to wait. At
first we had hoped it would be only a
few weeks. After the Marnc, Ypres.
a titanic struggle less known but not
less great, had strengthened our hopes.
We expected to leave the trenches in
the spring. 1t was the first winter.
We thought it would be the only one
and bore it as a short and nasty test
of our patience. Four winters instead
Of one passed. As early as 1915. the
men in the trenches realized that it
would 70 on like this so long as
of material was not added to
the strength of numbers and courage.
Dcadlocked In Trenches.
The men higher up we were .ksI slower ,' to
never broke through. Neither did the
enemy. We lived face to face, rifle
in hand, between attacks. There were
local engagements in 1915. Then came
1915 and Verdun. Verdun, the SUI
preme test after SO many tests-Ver-
dun. where, as at the Marne, France
saved the world on land as the British
fleet saved it on the seas. Once more
Germany believed she could force the
road to Paris. Six months Of carnage
overcome. our troops are at fighting
edge. National in spirit as in origin,
The. French army has acquired the
technical qualities of professional
armies. It has experience, It has
self possession, it has adaptability and
It has science. It is ready for the war
Df movelpent now inaugurated By the
LluctuatiOns i the battle front. The