Evening star., 1940-05-20

the Chemin des Danes and of the
British attack at Cambria, the Rus
sian revolution and detection. the
Italian route Of Caporette. and the
destructive German submarine CAM
paign.
On March 3, 1918, Russia definitely
withdrew from the war by signing
the Brest-Ltovsk treaty with the
Central Powers. BY this treaty 100
German divisions were released from
the Russian front and their transfer
to the Western front was at once
begun. When it is remembered that
for a period of time that can be
counted in years. the Germans had
held the Western front with about
two-thirds of the strength of the
opposing forces. 1t may be concluded
that the coming of those 100 Ger
man divisions was bad news for the
allies. and particularly so as their
arrival would coincide with that Of
the weather best suited for opera
tions.
Our Intervention was still month
away, and very problematical. The
British and French ENJOYS sent to
us for aid at that time declared that
unless we hurried we should be too
late, and this statement was quite
true.
On April 6. 1917, we declared war
on Germany and in June Gen.
Pershing was sent to France with a
small staff and the first contingent
of the A. E. F.
Similarity Of Instructions.
In Gen. Pershing's briefcase was
a letter from President Wilson
which read as follows:
I'm military operations against
the imperial German government
you are directed to cooperate with
the forces of other countries en-
ployed against that enemy, but in so
doing the underlying idea must be
kept in view that the forces of the
United States are a separate and
distinct component of the combined
forces, the identity of which must be
preserved. This fundamental rule
is subject to such minor exceptions
in particular circumstances as your
Judgment may approve"
1t is interesting to compare this
letter with that given to Rocham-
beau, March /, 1780, by the King
of France, when the French expedi-
tionary force came to our aid In
the revolution.
His majesty desires and orders
Count de Rochambeau to retain as
far as circumstances will permit
the French troops entrusted to his
command, collected together in one
corps, and to represent on a proper
occasion to Gen. Washington, COM
mander in chief of the troops of
Congress, under whose orders the
French troops are to serve, that it
is the Kings intention that the
French troops should not be dis
persed but that they should always
act as a body and under French
generals, except in the case of tenn
porary detachments which are to
rejoin the principal corps in few
days."
The manner in which Gen.
Pershing executed the above man
date, under difficult circumstances,
Is the achievement among the
many others which contributed in
the greatest degree to the confidence
which he enjoyed in increasing
measure throughout the war.
Three German Armies Strike.
The Germans lost no time in
opening their offensive on March
81, 1918. On this day three powerful
German armies, on q front Of SO
miles, struck the juncture of the
British French forces east Of Amiens
and in five days had driven wedge
80 miles deep to within eight miles.
of the main line of communications
between the French and British
armies. The separation Of these two
allied forces was the German OBJ
jective, and it came very near to
success, so near, in fact, that the
French and British high commands
actually formulated orders for
abandoning their juncture and fall
ing back respectively upon Paris and
the channel ports.
On March 26, 1918, a group Of
French and British political and
military leaders hastily and nerv-
ously assembled in the little town
of Doullens.
Even in the face of imminent and
apparently definite defeat there