The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-11-05
Co111ander-in- Chief Of
Allied A. m i e S
Praises American
Soldiers Who Made
Vict ory E Fossible

4&IE4tSuESzle1liyd dI0 SAf&- ikot 1acA~
until tbs German surrender.
Hour Of glory for theyAmerican
army, a proper elimination for
nifaifstary effort, prodigious alike in
sitS intensity as in its rapdity. One
am you have had your share
ii You may well be proud.
81 responding in mass to the call
arms of your government, in
eauapping, training and organ anizing
yourselves as rapidly as possible
yusa had IN view only the purpose
SO take your place as soon as pos
bae id the line of battle.
"a numbers: eighteen months
sterS The declaration of war by the
Insfed States on Germany, the
Aneriean army had passed from
ives Of :, 800 officers and 1885,
Esen to 100000 officers and 81
5oD.oe0 o men. ~
Effort OF organizations: II, in
5e month OF March, 1918, you had
France but six diFisions, six
months later you had III, Of which
engaged IN battle.
9 Effort Ia instr uction:; In order
10 oahave officers, non-ccmnissioned
Officers and men rapidly trained,
SOD anltfriied ia America as in
france your schools and camps,
uaich became centers OF prodigious
ecfivitys
order to arm you and camp
you ha American manufactories
sFisaseHt respite and sup
He'd an your needs.
admirable effort also in trans
5crtaEion. You swept away every
absacle which interfered with
bringing your units from the cen
sfsrs of Instructors to the ports
oS enlbarkation.
! TN France, you improved the
ports Of debarkation, created new
installations, increased the traffic
ef tbs railroad system by work Of
all kinds and multiplied your store
; houses and hospitals. 50
Your shipyards were organized
for intensive production in such a
way that when the war ended you
utilized for your ocean transporta-
S lion almost four millions Of marine
homage instead OF $4,000 avail2ble
at the beginning Of the war.
And meanwhile your splendid
war HeeI. thanks to its vigilance
and It's fne military qualities, pro-
tected with an efficiency to which 1
am happy to pay tribute here, the
transportation OF your troops and
material.
"a prodigious effort On the part
ef yoHr entire nations intelligence.
wiH power and energy. A pro-
digious effort which has filed your
associates with admiration and
gratitude and confounded your enc
nay.
This splendid spirit of an entire
ynation re find again on the battle
fields Of France, where it was blaz-
oned In the xad dmirable Virtues of
bravery and neroisnl.
II was tie q spirit of the second
and third American army divisions
which. one month later took part
ia the battle Of the Marne and dis
nguished themselves Immediately
In operations around Chateau
Thierry ard in. Beiieau Wood.
Again It was the spirit Of those
five divisions which, on the 18th
Of July participated in the victor
ious counter offensive Of the tenth
8 and sixth. French armies between
the Aisne and the Marne and con-
tributed in great measure to that
victory.
Finally, it was that spirit which
animated all the American army
when, on the twenty-fourth of July,
General Pershing formed your
splendid Units under his own direct
command.
On the twelfth of September,
1918, the first American army de-
. 8llvered its first battle on the soil
OF. France. It dislodgcd the enc
my from the st, Mihiel salient,
where he had entrenched himself
for nearly four years, threw him
back beyond the foot Of the hills
of the Meuse. From the very first
the American army entered into
glory. How many further laurels
was it yet to VIM
The st. Mihiel operation was
nearly ended when the American
army attacked on new front. On
IKE twenty-fifth of September it
was engaged on the right wing of
the vast allied offensive The point
of direction assigned to it was
Mezieres, on the Meuse.
81 ..Deployed from the left bank of
she Meuse to the eastern confines
of Champagne, it had three army
! carps in line on front of nearly
- .sRefore il stretched the region
q the Argonne, formidable en-
n,ascement of the German defense,
( s wooded terrain. rugged, olfhcui.
s. its very nature and rendered