Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 January 1919 — GERMANY MUST PAY HEAVILY [ARTICLE]

GERMANY MUST PAY HEAVILY

COLONEL GEORGE H- HEALEY SEVERELY CENSURES GERMAN CRUELTY. In Warfare one of the great necessities preliminating success is secrecy of one’s own movements and information of the enemy. It is ne- ■ prise and at the same time to ascer- ; tain the strength, position, etc., of ! the enemy, including if possible knowledge of his probable intentions. The offensive of Sept. 12th came fortyeight hours sooner than the Germans had expected it. They knew it .was coming and also that the falling back of -the -lines tn ; dahe northwest was endangering their lines. They kn'ew that there was a moral weakening among their troops and they felt that the time had come to go and they figured that the assault was coming on the 14th, which had been the date planned. They began to get out on the early morning of the 12th •nd were caught Khrd by the artillery and found retreating difficult. They employed machine guns tellingly against our advancing infantry but our gallant lads waded through their fire and surprised the Germans by their dauntless courage. In one day the Germans fell back twenty kilometers from St. Mihiel and lost some 15,000 prisoners and many guns and other munitions. With considerable strategy the Germans fell back to their straightened line. I talked to a major who saw some of the work of the artillery and experienced some thrills near the'front. His name is well known as a writer for The Saturday Evening Post and other periodicals and as the author of “The Heritage* of Tyre.” He pays to the American soldier a tribute that we shall doubtless see some time from 'his own pen. He says that they went forward without complaint, with a full knowledge of the almost certainty' of death. There was no cheap emotional demonstration of heroism, there was no faltering. The task was to be done and they did it. those boys df ours. The poor and illiterate, the wealth, the educated, fought side by side. They needed no leadership, they simply needed the information that the time had come for the attack. The losses were terrific, greater it is sure than would have be§n had they been thoroughly trained. But the spirit was there, the soul was there. For the cause of humanity these boys walked into the fire of the deadly machine guns. They endured every hardship and did not complain. Their accomplishments will be a glorious history. The little crosses that mark their resting places bear witness of a courage that is without parallel in the world’s experience. From many- positions " where our guide took us we could see where the .American artillery shells fell and tore great holes into the earth, terrorizing the disheartened Germans. Also where the German pill-box machine gun emplacements were concealed from view and so placed as to sweep every foot of the ground over which our lads advanced—The Germa nmaehine gunners remained after all but they had fled and either met their death or became prisoners. Toward the last, it is said, there was a great' scramble among the Germa/i soldiers to give themselves up. They did not care about taking chances of a “worse fate. They had seen Americans advance and they knew there was resolute purpose in them. They had come to learn that they had been deceived by their leaders who had told them that the Americans were not coming in large numbers. They knew that nothing could stop the brave boys from over

the sea. The Boche had a great way of getting information of our movements. Protbablf all have read of the listen-ing-in sets which all armies used. They will pick up the telephone conversations 'by the waves through the earth. One night with all the stealth possible the 77th, division relieved the 42nd division. The next morning in the Boche tren<* appeared a banner reading, “Gooabye 42d welcome 77th.” A British sector was relieved iby the Scotch and the Germans hoisted a banner reading, “Good morning, Scottie,” Our troops were equally active in this matter. . There are .miles and milea of trenches andi shelters and dugouts where the soldiers of the opposing armies lived for the four years. They are fringed with barbed wire entanglements of every description. The Germans used sharp pointed metal cTos warms about five feet long and between these wa stwisted batbed wire in great rolls. These sections could be moved about and set where most needed. The French generally employed their wire anchored to stakes driven firmly into the ground. Wherever possible the wire was hid-* den from sight Iby underbrush, tall grass or other means. For several miles at various places the ixmda are shielded from view by a means of poultry wire over which is drawn a grass like material. By this simple protection it was possible to move I supplies along ■ the highways unobserved iby the enemy. For many miles I saw labor troops repairing the roads, gathering the

shells and cording them up, getting all sorts of salvage. Bridges that had bee ntorn out (and the French have wonderful concrete and stone bridges) were being temporarily repaired. Occasionally I saw a French family coming back 'to their home from the country where they had taken refuge. Tt was a sorry home coming, their houses shattered, their fields shell torn. In many cases their stock all taken, their household effects either destroyed or carried away. While others had the additional sorrow of having contributed their sons to the cause. But their ancient enemy was defeated and they were feeling a new sense of security. Some of the towns the Germans occupied had been left models of sanitation so far as the streets were concerned but the wretches had put the torch to every inflammable thing in the houses before they left. They had destroyed the last chance of restoring the homes for use. It is acts .of tins kind that make it essential that Germany shall pay dearly because of the war lark. I have seen thousands of German prisoners. There are some fifty working at the camp I am stationed at and 500 more a half mile away; They are a very good looking lot of me nand boys and they are good workers. It is said that they respect and even admire American soldiers and that they are asking questions about the x great America and many of them planning •to come here. A great issue is thus introduced. Can we allow them to leave Germany and avoid paying the war tax? Do we want to harbor them in great quantities in America? Or shall we make them stay in Germany, I the Fatherland they loved so devotedly. and pay for . the Kell they •brought ou, earth?