El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1921-01-04

In War Time
LEAVES FROM AN
OVERSEAS NOTEBOOK
-f2-

I months Today's instalmeut. continuing
I On - lTsuse-arronne battle front
] IL IS suggested that readers clip these
/ articles each day and paste them in scrap
I books; they viii not be reprinted and back
l numbers cannot be supplied
ALL LAST night, 1914 October 1918,
/ n in spite of rumors Of peace we
heard the guns along the front
I around Verdun and the flashes Of the
guns lighted up the horizon. French
Z returning from the front report heavy
! losses. German prisoners brought in;
/ few wounded prisoners have been
I brought in at any time-Whyl
! Memorable scenes and sounds along
] the great night road; heavy traffic
both ways, sense Of being in an area
/ crowded with troops and surging with
military activity.
In this vicinity some villages were
I entirely Obliterated SO that road maps
would be useless without some such
signs as these we see: @Ihis WAS
/ Ferois," etc, the French use of the
I past tense having a sort of grim humor.
Z On this front there are towns pulver-
lied as Thoroughly as any along the
entire line. Towns between the lines
I OF close to the lines on either side were
I under constant artillery fire during
I long years and pulverized IS the only
word that conveys the idea Of what
/ they look like now. Allied artillery
I did fully as much actual damage as
I the enemy, probably more in many
I cases. Comparatively little damage was
I done to the country where battle move
I ment passed over rapidly, but "stabi-
liZatiOn" meant systematic destruction
of everything in reach.
I fear the work of politicians is un-
doing or rendering Ineffective the work
Of the military. Now that the world
! has lost l0,000000 men, Is il not worth
another half million. Il necessary to in
sure q lasting mot permanent peace
and substantial iusticel
1t seems to me a good strategic plan
might be to continue driving on the
west, hold on south and center. make
feint on right for deep wedge through
[ Alsace into Germany, and make prin-
Z cipal and decisive drive north from
Verdm vicinity to cut off enemy, sever
I his lines OF communication, and menace
his lower Rhine country by land and
I air. I can't see the value of wasting
men in continuing drive on south or
center when great rolling up strategy
T can be accomplished with good chance
Of cutting of the German armies I'm
| France.
fI did not know at the time that was
B written. anything about the American
I or allied strategy OF much about the
[ general situation, but It SO happened
that ] hit on almost precisely the
I strategic plan that ended the war and
{ lmder which the entire battle Of the
! Meuse-Argonne was fought by the
Z American First army. As a matter of
I fact, under the allied strategy the en-
I tire plan was 70 have been carried out
{ after November ], as it afterwards
I became known IF the Germans had
not accepted the armistice terms. On
{ November u the line of the Meuse had
been opened, Sedan had been taken.
Z also Stenay, and the enemy's main
T lines Of communication had been cut
OF were so seriously menaced as 20 be
I practically useless. There had already
Z been assembled on III November, 81
divisions on the Alsace front, SIX
I American and Is French, which were
I 70 drive in between Metz and Stras-
/ bourg while the First army was TO
7 move on at once by way of Aontmedyi
I Nirton, and LougwT to envelbp Metz,
{ the American Second army meanwhile
being charged to drive through 70 the
I Briey region. All this would obviously
Z have forced the enemy to withdraw
Z precipitatelv from France and Belgium
! and concentrate all his forces in de-
Z Tending his home land. The orders Tor
I this vast strategic coup had already
/ taken effect November IL and the great
3 combined assault on the entire line was
scheduled for IA November The note in
the Diary was made a month before the
{ war ended, at a time when nobody I'm
Z the fighting forces dreamt that the
| end was anywhere near. Another year
I Of war was looked for
Is October l9l6-MT conviction
Z formed long ago has been powerfully
7 reinforced these last few days (een-
I trail powers peace Overtures, president
] Wilson's reply with Enquiries" etc.
/ and Germauy's rej0inderl, that the
war should 90 on TO s. definite and
I overwhelming military victory accord
inc TO the iufleNible rules of the war
i game. and that there should be no
armistice, commission, conference, or
I negotiation until Germany aclmoWl-
I edges herself beaten, on land, sea, and
[ in the air, and makes a military sur
render TO the military authority OF her
enemies in acknowledgment Of their
! victory and her unconditional sur
7 render.
1t is a dull DAY, rainy drizzle. In hut
/ in old beech woods on top of hill over
I looking Blercourt and neiehboring
Z towns and valleys. All yesterday and
I last night we heard the guns and
: shells around Verdun. Air raids around
this billet and bombs dropped two or
I three days ago. We are at this mo-
ment II 70 Is miles from German lines
/ at nearest points east and northeast.
! Some trees in this wood two feet in
/ diameter, a beautiful forest. Woods al
bronze with autumn coloring; woods
Z carpeted with leaves, but aall sloppy
7 siushy mud From hills We can look
away 70 Nerdun and Its forts and see
I the great radial roads with their con-
tinual traffic, and all the organization
for defence Of the terrain.
; Germans occupied this vicinity dur
ing the great push early iu the war;
! German command post dugouts, obser-
walton posts, shelters, ammunition
caves, etc. on northwest side Of hin
I eTidencing their advance TO front in
south and east direction. This does
not conform to maps. now current.
which do not show that the Germans
quite reached here, but the evidence on
the ground appears conclusive and the
maps must be wrong AT one time the
Ferdun salient surrounded by the Ger
mans could NOT have haqn more chan