Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-12-01
Editorial Comment
THE ARGONNE OFFENSIVE
(New York Times)

Lieut.. Gen. Hunter Liggett, re-
tired, in an address at San Francisco
advocating preparedness. is quoted:
If Congress had provided funds so
that America might have been pre-
pared. the green American troops
who won the Battle of the Argonne
in many days of costly fighting
would have smashed through on the
third day, would have taken two
whole divisions of German prisoners
and would have ended the war in the
most brilliant victory.
In forcing the Argonne General Per-
shing had a tremendous problem to
solve-'the most difficult of that of
any army commander" says Buchan
in his history of the war, who adds !:
1.-THE American First Army was given
task like the British at the Battle
of the Somme. and. like the British,
suffered from lack of experience
and its too audacnous gallantry."
The American losses were heavy, a
fact that should have arrested or
modified some of the criticism of the
operations in which amateur tao
ticians have INDUCED. Pershing's
front was traverscd by the worst
roads in that part Of France, and
there was little cover for advancing
troops. The strain on the transport
system was severe; but the engineers
had no time to build new roads. 1t
was necessary, in accordance with
with Marshal Foch's plan, to use the
American infantry at once. The
Germans knew that their positions
in the Argonne were well.nigh invul-
nerable to frontal attack With a
general advance of the Allies immi-
nent, the Germans took advantage of
every favoring condition of the ter
rain that the Americans faced,
Strengthening defenses and multiply
ing machine gun nests. If -Pershing' S
First Army could be stopped, the
strategy of Foch would fail, because
to push the attack on both sides of
the Argonne with the Germans still
in possession of the forest would
have been hazardous.
The wonder is that the Americans,
who were using their own artillery,
aviation and technical troops for the
first time without aid from the
French got through at all. By Sept.
IS the Americans were seven miles
inside the enemys lines, but it took
TIM eleven days to advance two miles
more. On Oct. 81 the last Kriem-
hide position had been taken and
the victory complete. a frontal
attack, which the Germans regarded
as a forlorn hope, had 9loriously
succeeded. General Liggett is right
when he speaks of 1.-The green Ameri-
can troops" All the more honor to
American arms. The American
troops were green because they
had not been fully trained for the
ordeal of modern warfare. The per-
sonnet handling communications.
transport, telegraph lines and am
munition dumps was lacking in eX-
pcrience. The staff was not adequate
for the demands made upon it in the
emergency. General. Liggett. the
ablest army commander at the front,
may underestimate the difficulties of
the American assault when he says
that it should have succeeded on the
third day, but it is indisputable that
if the United States had prepared
for war laboriously before it was
declared the casualties and sacrifices
OF the Argonne would have been very
much less, and we should have
heard no criticism of green troops
and blunders in the face of the
onCmNt