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YO RMS LIE ENQUIRER. ISSUED ggMl'WKKKLT. l. a orist'S sobs. Pobii.heri ; S -Jiamilj Jlrirspapcr: J;or the promotion of the political, Social, Agricultural and Commercial ^Interests of th( Jlrojlt. j TERM,^J^C* ESTABLISHED 185.1 YORK~C.. TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 1918. 1^0.27 "OVER 1 By ARTHU] An American Boy Wh Years Befoi Copyright, l'jJ7. by Arthur 'It < "IIAI*TKIl .X X V ? < 'out iiiucii. As dawn bcKun to break, he cou ili.siirn littb- dark objects protrudii 11<*iii th> ground all about liiui. Cur mastered bis fear and he crauvh In on** ol I la- objects, and there, in tl inn lain liahl, lie read uii a 1 itt ?ooili'ii i toss: ' I ; . II. S. Wheat on. No. 107'), 1: i.oinioii I test. It. I'. Killed in iulio April J'.. 1?1?. It. I- I'." < It' Nt i I van-.) When it ||;|UIU'|| oil hill! that III' Ilil l.? n :t-11nvr nil night ill a ccmctei his i a sou seemed to leave him, tinil mail ili sin- to he free from It all mat Iiiiii i n il iii.hII> away, falling uvi r lil Hi- wooden i t osses, smashing some an trampling oihers iiiiilei his !' -?t. Ill Ills Might lie eallie to till ol I i< neh dugout, hall raved m ami |?ai tially lillol with slimy ami filthy wal er. lake a fox heillK eiiasetl hy tl hoiuuls, lie ||||I keil into this hole all Ihiew hiiieell on a pile ol oh! cuipl samllmgs. wet ami mildewed. Then iimoiiseioiismss. (ill the next !: >, la- eaim* to; la distant \oiees soumleil ill his ear I'|i* iiimt his ryes in the entrance < the dugout lie saw a corporal and tw men with lixed bayonets. The corporal was addressing him: "tot up, you white-livered Idightci Curse you and tin- day you ever Joint ;i company, spoiling their line rev ord' It'll he you up against the wal and a good joh too. (Set hold of hiu tti< a. ami if lie makes a hreak, giv Iiiiii (lie ( ayom l, and send it home, tli cowardly Minik. Come on. you, movi we've heeii looking lor you lou cnoug It." I.loyd, trciiihling and weakened h his long last, lotion d out, assisted l> a soldier on each side of him. They took Iiiiii lie lore the eaptaii hut lould get nothing out of him hut "r'or (Sort's sake, sir, don't luive m * --* ? ' ? > <luil mum. mm i i... >, Tho captain, utterly disgusted wit Iiiiii. sent hint under escort to divisio )ic,ul<|iUtrtcrs lor lii.il by courtniai tia charged with desertion under tire. TIloy .-.Pool deserters ill Kraiico. During his tnul, Lloyd sat as on da/.ed, and could put nothing lorwar in his defense, only an occasion! "Don't have me shot!" His sentence was passed: "To b >lay 18, 1916." This ? aieunt that 1 had only one more day to live. lie did not realize the awfulncss < his sentence; his brain seemed par; 1>zed. lie knew nothing of iiis tri under guard, in a motor lorry to tl sandbagged guardroom in the villug Where lie Was dumped on the lloor ill left, while a sentry with a lixed bayi net paced ii|> and down in front of tl cut ranee. Itully beef, water and biscuits wei left beside him for his supper. The sentry, seeing that he ate noil mg, came iusi le and shook him by tl shoulder, saying in a kind voice: "t'heero, laddie, better eat somi tiling. You'll li el belter. l>o||'| g|l lip llO|H*. You'll lie |inrdolled bel'oi morning. I know the way they rn these things. They're only trying 1 scan- you, that's all. Conic now, thai a good lad. eat something. It'll mat the woild look different to you." The good hearted sentry knew I was lying about the ixirdon. lie kmnothing shoit of a miracle could sa\ tin- itoor lad. I.loyd listi-m <1 rly to Ills si lin y words, and lii'lii'Vfil tlicin. A look i hope i aim- into liis ryi'i', and lit* ravel ously ato tin- meal beside tiini. In about an liom'.s tittti' I hi* vital lam came to sot* liitn. 1'iit Lloyd won liavi none ot hint. Ilo wanted no i>ai son. In* was to In- |iar<lonotl. 'I'lu- artillery behind tho linos sin ili nl\ opened ii|' w itli everything tin liail. An intense bombardment of tl enemy's lines lufil commenced. Tl roar ot tlio guns was den fen in Lloyd's fonts canto hack with a ins ami lie cowtied on the earthen tloi with his hands over his face. t The sentry, seeing his position, can in and tried to cheer him by talking 1 him. "Xovi-r mind them guns. hoy. thi won't hurt you. They are ours. \\ are giving the Bodies a dose of the ow n niodloine. Our hoys arc going ovi the top at dawn id' the morning to tat their trenches. We'll give 'em a tast of cold steel with their sausages an hcor. Von hist sit tight now until tin relieve you. I'll have to go now. la as it's nearly time for my relief, and don't want them to see me n-talki with you. So long, laddied, cheero!" With this, the sentry resumed tl imeing of his |H?st. In nhout ten mil utes" time he was relieved and a company man took his place. 1 .(Hiking into the guardhouse, tl sentry noticed the cowering attitude i l.loyd. and. with a sneer, satd to hln "Instead of whimpering in that coi nei. you ought to lie saytiig your pra? ers. It's bally conscripts like yt what's spotlin' our record. We've be? out here nigh onto eighteen month * tko flfot mnh tn dPStM't . Jl nuu ji?u in* mo. ? ? post. The whoie t>attalion Is laughi and |H)kin" fun nt D company. br luck to you. But you won't pet anoth< chance to disgrace us. They'll pi your lights out in the morninV* After listening to this tirade. Lloj * in a faltering voice, asked: "They ai not going to shoot me. are they? Wh the other sentry said they'd pard< me. For God's sake?don't tell mo !' to Ik* shot!" and his voice died away a sol>. "Of course, they're going to sho you. The other sentry was just a-kl? din' >ou. Just like old Smith. Aiwa; a-try in' to cheer some one. You air got no more chance o' beln' pnrdom than 1 have of gettin' to be colonel < my 'batt.'" When the *act that all hope wi gone Anally entered Lloyd's brain, calm seemed to settle over him. at Hllfi rca I rHE TOP" s. run ;in,} El GUY EMPEY aJ him lo Got Into the War Two I witl and re His Country. *r sai< ly Empy. UK. rising to his knees, with his arms sti t? .u <i out to h?*aven. h< praye.l, and 'ra' all of his soul entered into the praver. ''a'V . .. . ... _ tiav ? "< I, tC<K/d ;uiu iniTrilui ' ??hi, VIM* iim* sticrigth t<? ?li?- like a man! Deliver 11 s '' mi' from this coward's death, (live me <ve '' a chance to <!! like my mutes in the rmM '' lighting line, to <lio lighting for my K'v< country. I ask this of thee." s' A peace, hitherto unknown, came to w'" " him. und he crouched and cowered no Wl'' 1,1 more, I.at calmly waited the dawn. "'a* ready to go to his death. The shells 1,1 were liursting all around the guard- vVl'' -x room, luit lie hardly noticed them. ' a While waiting there, the voice of the sentry, singing in a low tone, came to him. Me was singing tin chorus of tin- ' popular trench ditty: '*,v ctiii I want to go home. I want to go home. I don't want to go to tin- trenches no x'1" '* more. "M'1 Where ti.?' "whizzbangs" and "sale sages" roar galore. r,,s' Take me over the se-i. where tl.e Ml -- ' ' in-iud can't get me. ??h. my, 1 don't want to die! i want to go home. a " u arri l.loyd listened to the words with a **" strange interest, and wondered what ? kind of a home lie would go to across the Iirent llivide. It would lie the only home he had ever known. .suihli nly I here cairn- a great rushing l,lsd thioiigh tin- air. a Minding, n deafen- ' ing report, and tin- sandbag walls of ' the guardroom toppled over, and then tain ' ?blackness. ,d * '* When l.iow! recovered conscious- "" " iii-ss. la- was lying on Ids right side, lacing \v"iat usi-d to lie the entrance of ' o tlie guardroom. Now. it was only a J"1" jumble of rent and torn windbags. Mis ' v head seemed busting. He slowly rose s'~ | -v on his ellsiw, and there in the east the '' lawn A?as breaking, liin what was " ?-! \ fcl I ill.II Iiiiiumcu i>iuh u>i-i mvit ainoiiK the sandbags? Slowly draKKiiiK "'Kr I hiniM'li to it. ho saw tho body of tho '' ' Scot hj i " ? ??; ! sltrh He Betrayed Hie Country. \\h; Kur si-ntry. Oik- look was enough to know was dead. Tho soldier's head * was missing. Tho sentry had had his S','T ' wish gratified. He had ";;one hiaii"." a'^r lie was safe at last front the "whizz- Kl" lianas" and the'Allcntand. XXo1 ' v Like a Hash it came to Lloyd that he was free. Free to go "over the top" xxt" u' with his oont|iany. Free to die like a 1"" " true Itrlton lighting for his king and country. A great gladness and warmth n,ui *' en me over him. Carefully stepping 1,1 ' over the hotly of the sentry, he started nn'' " on a mad race down the ruined street 0x01 10 of the village, amid the bursting shells. Xx minding them not. dodging through or ''' ' |-x around hurrying platoons on their way !"s ' to also go "over the top." Coming to ' 1,1 " a communleation trench he "could not n 1 get through. It was blocked, with ',is laughing, cheering and cursing sol- ? l'" diets. Climbing out of the trench, he ( run wldly along the top, never heed- ','0,f1 x ing the rain of machine-gun bullets n,?' and shells, not even hearing the shouts | of the officers, telling him to get hack n into the trench. He was going to join vu'v his company who were in the front nuu ti.w n?k *^,*0 to tlcrhf with thorn. solii Ho the ilcspisiM coward. had come into his own. Hon While ho was racing along, jumping 1,1 over trenches crowded with soldiers, a ' " ' 1)1 ringing cheer broke out all along the ^ front line, and his heart sank. He r* knew he was too late. His company s l* hnd gone over. Hut still he ran madly. * M> Ho would catch them. He would die with them. L "* Meanwhile his company hnd gone if y "over." They, with the other com- are n p;inies had taken the first and second thai Herman trenches, and hnd pushed A steadily on to the third line. D com- sold ut pany. led by their crptaln. the one who vole had sent Lloyd to division headquar- bloc ters for trial, charged with desertion, fror re had pushed steadily forward until they or. >' found themselves far In advance of now )n the rest of the attacking force. "Bomb- safe 111 ing out" trench after trench, and using Hun their bayonets, they came to a German tain communication trench, which ended in B a tdindsap. and then the captain, and wilt 1- what was left of his men. knew they fror rs were in a trap. They would not re- ing i't tire. D company never retired, and dyii "d they were D company. Right in front prej of of them they could see hundreds of fire Germans preparing to rush them *ith was ts bomb and bajonet. They would have Ti a some chance if ammunition and bombs ed id could reach them from the rear. Their dow ply ^.<s exhausted. and the men 1 lizcd it would he a case of dying alo bravely as possible, or making a the for it. Hut D company would not of i It was against their traditions woi principles. con he Crnn.'ins would have to advance "do oss an open space of three or four pie id red yards before they could >: ! wrl bin bombing distance of the trem h. then it would lie-all their own way. air inning to liis company, the captain gut I: his Mrn. it's a case of going West for in Wo ;ito out of ammunition and it's, : n>I tin- HochfH hnvi- us in a " p. They will bomb us out. Our "di onets art- useless here. We will 1 e to go over ami meet them. and for a ease of thirty to one. so send ing ry thrust home, .and die like the ogr ? of I) company should. When 1 con the word, follow ine, and up, and wit them, 'live thein h....l! I.oril. if "n?. only had ii machine gun. we could em e them out! Here they cone, get ' ly, men!" has ist as In- finished s[leaking, the 0f i-onie "pup-pup" of a iiiai iop. gun |jvc heir rear rang out. and the front i of the onrushing Germans seem- Wet to melt away. They waved, but jn \ i? again eaine rushing onward. (Wt ,n w? nl their second line. The ma- j|,(, ie gun was taking an awful toll of s. Then again the) tried to ad- in,| re. hut the machine gun mowed j ii down. Dropping tlnir rifles and ty ibs, the> broke and fled in u wild tMj i back to their trench, amid the is of "L>" <-oiiip.iiiy. They were j uiug again for another attempt. y ii in the rear of I) company came (jes light) cheer. 'I lie aiiuniuiition had j vial and with it a battalion of teli to re -enforce til-Ill. Tile) WCle j. d. The unknown niaeliin.- gunner eoine to the rescue in the nick of _ 'itli ili<- rc-cniorccments it was an ' tusk to take the third Herman " Jac Itci tin- attack was over, tlic- capami three of his non-commission tliccra wcinlctl their way back to position where the machine gun ^ ' lone its ticailly work lie wanteil hank tin- gunner in the mime of 1> |~'fl l?any for his miigniliccnt deed. y arrived at the gun, and tin awful " i met their eyes. loyd had reached the front line ch. after his com|intiy had left it. . . . noli I range company was nimbly craw lup the trench ladders. They were ''"s' nioivetn- ntf going over. They were 1" tties, and they made a magnificent t in their brightly colored kilts and " ; knees. ,]ivl imping over the trench, I .loyd raced iss No Man's (.and. unheeding the s'''1 if bullets, leaping over dark forms lie ground some of wbicli lay still. ' le others called out to him as he ' IIH T ded past. e came to the (Jcrinan front line. Hl '' it was deserted, except for heaps 'n ' wad wild wounded?n grim tribute I H,'e< !he work of his company, good old Kl" mtipany. heaping trenches, and ping for hivath, Lloyd could see lus d ahead of him his company in .1 d-ciiili-d sap of a commtinica'ion ich. and across the open, away in 1 it of tin m, a mass of Hermans pre- '",x ing for a charge. Why didn't l> 'j" ipany tire on them? Why were tle-y '" strangely silent? What were tlmv ting for? Then he knew ?their am- ' nit ion was exhausted, lit what was that on his right? A ,."l! liine gun. Why didn't it open lire "Nl ' save them? lie would make tliit i's crew do their duty. Hushing ,w< r to tin- gun In- saw why it had not '''^ nc-l tire. Scattered around its base ^ six still forms. They had hroognl ,,'l's Ir gun to consolidate the enptmed 'oV it ion, but a Herman machine gim I decreed they would never lire in. :,m' loyd rushed to the gun and. grasothe traversing handles, trained it Ho (icimars. He pressed the thumb ie. .hut only a sharp click was the mi* " M nit. The gun was unloaded. Then realized his helplessness. He did u know how to load the gun. Oh. 1 f v hadn't he attended the machinei course in Kngland '.' He'd been ^ red the chance. l>ut with a blush of urn me he remembered that lie had been line aid. The nickname of the machine WO I inert* hail frightened him. They ^ 0 called the "Suicide club." Now, t.mi iuse oi this tear, his company ild be destroyed, the men of I> ' ^ i|?any would have to die. because Albert 1 Jovd. had been afraid of a J"' 1 IS i ic. In his shame he cried like a , fast y. Anyway he could**lie with them ^ rising to his feet, he stumbled r the body of one of the gunners. j emitted a faint moan. A gleam ^ ^ lope flashed through him. Perhaps ^ man could tell him how to load gun. Stooping over the body he lly shook it and the soldier opened . eves. Seeing Lloyd, he closed C'S n again, and in a faint voice said: j Set away, you Idighter. leave ine ' ic. I don't want any coward arouml the he words cut Lloyd like a knife. ,hr| he was desperate. Taking the re- ,,a? er out of the holster ef the dying niK| t he pressed the cold muzzle to the t| ier's head and replied: nmj *es. it is Lloyd, the coward ot am| i|iany 1>. but so help nie God. if uas don't tell me how to load that gun |, put a bullet through your brain." sjor sunny smile came over the conn- ^ r mce of the dying man and he said (jm. 1 faint whisper: (--j iood old boy I I knew yon wonfdn't Iirai race our coinimny " I(jn, loyd Interposed: "For God's sake ttve ou want to save that company you had so proud of. tell me how to load coir d?d gun!" was s if reciting n lesson In school, the ed tor replied in n weak, singsong use e: "Insert tag end of belt in feed N k. with left hand pull belt left to I it. Pull erank handle bark on roll- pea let go. and repeat motion. Gun is the loaded. To fire, raise automatic gle >ty latch, and press thumbplece. no i is now firing. If gun stops, ascer- line position of crank hnndle?" b.*oi ut Lloyd waited for no more. With in I 1 joy in his heart, he took a belt brei n one of the ammunition boxes ly- of l beside the gun, and followed the T ig man's instructions. Then he and isod the thumbplece and a burst of the rewarded his efforts. The gun T worktng. to t raining it on the Germans he shout- for for joy as their front rank went any n. * T 'reversing the gun back and forth ng the mass of Hermans. he saw m break and run back to the c-ov?-r their trench, leaving their dead and unded behind. He had saved his ij?any. he. I.loyd. the coward, had i ne his bit." Releasing the thumb- i ee, he looked at the watch on his 1st. He was still ulive at "3.3$." | 'Ping!"?a bullet sans through the , and Lloyd fell forward across the i. A thin trickle of blood ran down < face from a little, black round hole 1 his forehead. ? t 'The sentence of the court had be< n ily carried out." 1 rhe captain slowly raised the lind- 1 in <lrooping over the gun and, wip- ' the blood from the white face, rec-l lizcd it as Lloyd, the coward npany. Reverently covering the brt h his handkerchief he turned to his ncoms" and. in a voice husky with otion, addressed thvm: Boys, it's Lloyd, the deserter. He i redeemed himself, died the death a hero?died thut his mates might 'hat afternoon a solemn procession ided its way toward the cemetery, the front a stretcl er was carried by i sergeants. Across the stretcher Union Jack was carefully spread lind the stretcher came a captain forty-three men, all that were left 3 company. irriving at the cemetery, they haltIn front of an open grave. All about m wooden crosses were broken and mpled into the ground. l grizzled old sergeant, noting this truetion, muttered under his nth: "Curse the cowardly blighter a wrecked those crosses! If I could y get these two hands around his k his trip West would be short." 'lie corpse on the stretcher seemed move, or it might have been the <1 blowing the folds of the l'ni?>n k. CHARTER XXV. Preparing for the Big Push. ejoining Atwell. after the execution id a hard time trying to ki op tn> et from him. I think I must have at least ten pounds worrying over n (fair. eginnitig at seven in the evening it i our duty to patrol all cornmunica i and front line trenches, making 1 of unusual occurrences, and siring anyone who should, to us, ap- 1 r to he acting in a suspicious man- 1 Wo slept during the day. chind the lines there was great no- * ty, supplies and ammunition pour- ' in, nnd long columns of troops con- * illy passing. We were preparing the hig offensive, the forerunner } I he liattle of the Somnic or "Hig 1 h." 1 he never-ending stream of men, ( plies, ammunition nnd guns pour* into the front lines made a mlghtr*1 stacle, one that cannot be doJif Iheii. 'it nas to ne WiinTlisrtr^jpwi' ir ov. yea to appreciate its vast-1 H. >t our part of the line the influx of iplies never ended. It looked like uge snake slowly crawling forward, or a hitch or break, a wonderful tile to the system ami elllcionoy of sit Itritaln's "contemptible little t\" of five millions of men. luge lilteen-inch guns snaked along, i runt, by powerful steam tracti. Then a long line of "four point " batteries, each gun drawn by six ses, then a couple of "nine jioinl i" howitzers pulled by immense erpillar engines. t hen one of these caterpillars would s me with its mighty monster In \ a ilush of pride would mount to face, because 1 could plainly read the name plate, "Made in L'. S. A." 1 I I would remember that if I wore a lie plate it would also read, "From F. S. A." Then 1 would stop to ik how thin and straggly thai :!>ty stream would he if all trie ide in lT. S. A." imrts of It were hdrawn. hen would eonio hundreds of llms and "G. S." wagons drawn by 1 well-fed mules, ridden by sleek. ( 1-fed men, ever smiling, although 1 m.v with sweat an 1 covered with the 1 1 white dust of the marvelously I-made French roads. That a discouraging report the Ger- 1 n airmen must have taken back to ir division commanders, and this sam is slowly but surely getting bigand bigger every day, and the pace always the same. N'o slower, no , ter, but ever onward, ever forward, i i"hree weeks before the big push of y 1?as I he battle of the Somme has , n willed?started, exact duplicates ( the German trenches were dug ( ut thirty kilos behind our lines. ( ' layout of the trenches was taken n airplane photographs submitted , the Royal Hying corps. The trench- . were correct to the foot; they ] we<i dugouts, saps, barbed wire dc- | res and danger spots. I attalions that were to go over in ( first waves were sent back for e days to study these trenches, en- ( e in practice attacks and have , fit maneuvers. Each man was rered to make a map of the trenches , * uimn/vir n'Uh thn nnrnpf Ill mil li< i l/if iiiiiicm i i nun %n? location of the parts his battalion i to attack. i the'American army non-commlsictl ollicers arc put through a course nap making or road sketching, and Ing my six years' service In the ted States cavalry I had plenty of etlce in this work, therefore mapf these trenches was a com paraly ensy task for me. Each man to submit his map to the company imander to be passed upon, and I i lucky enough to have mine selectas being sufficiently authentic to in the attack. ( o photographs or maps are allowed cave France, but in this case It apled to me as a valuable souvenir of great war and I managed to smugIt through. At this time It carries military importance as the British s. I am happy to say have since n advanced beyond this point, so laving It in my possession I am not iking any regulation or cautlonfc the British army. he whole attack was rehearsed rehearsed until we heartily cursed < one who had conceived the idea. i he trenches were named according I i system which made it very simple > Tommy to^lind. even In the dark. < point In .the German lines. I hese imitation trenches, or trench i x *~\ V _ ( -. i models, wei;e well guarded from observation by numerous allied plants ' "hieb constantly circled above them. ' No German airplane could approach within observation distance. A restricted area was maintained and no civilian was allowed within three miles, so we felt sure that we had a great surprise in store for Fritz. When we took over the front line we received an awful shock. The Germans displayed signboards over the top of their trench showing the ' names that we had called their trenches. The signs read "Fair," "Fact." "Fate" and "Fancy," and so on. according to the code names on our map. Then to rub it In. they hoisted some more signs which read, "Come on, we are ready, stupid English." it is still a mystery to me how they obtained this knowledge. There had seen no raids or prisoners taken, so it must have been the work of soles n in our lines. Three or four days before the big '' nush we tried to shatter Fritz's nerves 0 l>y feint attacks. and partially sue- 0 ceeded as the olficial reports of July 1 '' jhow. Although we were constantly bom- h warding their lines day and night, still v ive fooled the Ciermans several times. " rhls was accomplished by throwing 1 in intense barrage into his lines? s then using smoke shells we would put " i curtain of white smoke across No 11 Man's Land, completely obstructing lis view of our trenches, and would '' "aise our curtain of lire as if in an 1 ictual attack. All down our trenches l' .he men would shout and cheer, and v b'ritz would turn loose with machine- '' run, rifle and shrapnel tire, thinking 1 ive were coming over. After throe or four of these dummj ittacks his nerves must have been ll tear the breaking point. On June 24, 1D16. at 9.40 in the 0 Homing our guns opened up. and hell 0 nas let loose. The din was terrific, a '' constant boom-boom-boom in your ear. At night the sky was a red glare. ' Dur bombardment had lasted about ' [wo hours when l'ritz started reply- 1 ng. Although wc were sending over s ten shells to his one, our casualties .cere heavy. There was a constant 8 stream of stretchers coming out of the 0 communication trenches and burial parties were a common sight. In the dugouts the noise of the guns ' ilmost hurt. You had the same sensa- 1 ion as when riding on the subway yot< * mter the tube under the river going 1 ? .... r O IirOOKl.YU?U sun UL |>ll'S3Uir Oil lliv Bar drums, and the ground constantly rembling. The roads behind the trenches were ery dangerous la-cause Ltochc shraplel was constantly bursting over them iVe avoided these dangerous spots by .-rossing through open Ileitis. fhe destruction in the German lines ? vas awful and I really felt sorry for hgptl because I realized how they must v '/? - From our front-line trench, every now and again, we could hear sharp whistle blasts in the German trenches. These blasts were the signals for stretcher bearers, and meant the wounding or killing of some German in the service of his fatherland. Atwell and I had a tough time of it. patrolling the different trenches at night, but nfter awhile got used to it. My old outfit, the machine gun company, was stationed in huge elephant dugouts about four hundred yards behind the front line trench?they wen In reserve. Occasionally I would stop in their dugout and have a conl'ah with my former mates. Although we tried to be Jolly, still, there was a lurking feeling of impending disaster. Each man was wondering if. after the slogan, "Over the top with the best of luck," had been sounded, would he still ' be alive or would he lie lying "some( where in Finnic." In an old dilapidated , house, the walls of which were scarred with machine-gun bullets, No. 3 section of the machine gun company had its quarters. The company's cooks prepared the meals In this billet. On the fifth evening of the bombardment a German eight-Inch shell registered n direct hit on the billet and wiped out ten men who were asleep in the supposedly bomb-proof cellar. They were buried the next day and I attended the funeral. (To Bo Continued.) First American Advance.?American ' troops in the Luncville sector have t occupied nnd are holding enemy trenches northeast of ffcidonvilliei-s, which they forced the Germans to , abandon through recent raids and I concentrated artillery lire. The trenches have bacn consolidated with ours. t This, though a small forward move- ( ment, marks the first permanent ad- 1 ranee by the American army in t France. The consolidation of the t trenches enables the Americans and 1 French to operate from higher t ground than heretofore. t The Germans mnde only feeble at- t tempts to retake the position but each t time were repulsed. f Repeated American raldH on this t ?ector and the effective work of the t American gunners forced the Gor- t nans to give up the trenches. Gcr- c nan efforts to regain the lost j>osl- f lions were repulsed by Gen. I'ersh- I ng's Men. a Iladonvllllers Is eight miles west of Hie German frontier and Is almost 1 ilrectly west of Strassburg, capital 5f Alsace. The American position here is about 18 miles southwest of i the Rhine Marne canal where the 1 Americans first entered the trenches i last November. f On both the Lunevllle and Toul sec- t tors the American artillery has been ' filing many shells into the German I positions. Northwest of Toul Ger- t nan plans for a gas attack again ' were frustrated when the American Sunners destroyed four groups of gas 8 projectors which had been placed in 1 position. German batteries, trenches, 1 wire entanglements and other mill- 8 tary targets are being harassed by 8 the Americans. I Three personi were burned to death, r ?ne was killed by a fall and two se- ( rionsly Injured In a Are In a theatrical f boarding house in New York last FYi- t lay. It is supposed that the Are was t yf Incendiary origin, as there have t been six Ares in the house since Janu- t UT L -v WHEATLESS HOTEL FARE Many Landlords Respond to Hoover'i Appeal. Wheat and wheat products won viped off the menus of several hundret >r the country's leading hotels last 'riday in response to a request of tht cod administration that "every independent. every well-to-do person in he United States" should pledge complete abstinence from wheat until the lext harvest. Hotel managers who assembled in Washington from every state in the 'nton to hear new conservation regu ntions expiainea, were lom uj rw? Administrator Hoover that a census of applies revealed that the harvest had ieen less than estimated, that shipping illiculties made it imperative to feed he Allies from here instead of from he Argentine and that It is impossible o ship corn, owing to loss from germination. Mr. Hoover said the renunciation of jxurious food must begin at the top f the social scale, not only to set an xainple, but because the industrial lopulation is dependent to u large cxi.-nt on bakers' bread, which must ave a considerable proportion of heat to be durable. Therefore, he sked the hotels, which have as pa rons people of wealth, to refuse to erve any wheat whatever until the vw crop comes in, using other cereuls ml potatoes instead. "We stand at the most critical eriod of our national history since he buttle of Gettysburg." Mr. Hoover eclared. "We may have to cut our >heat consumption more than oncinlf, but the sacrifice must come from hose who have the most, not from hose who have the least. "Our wheat acreage this year will e greater than ever before and if he Ix>rd is good to us in the matter f weather, our dililculties will be at nd by September 1. That is not a >ng period of sacrifice." The reply was an outburst of apilause which died away as John McK. lowinan of New York, head of the c>od administration's hotel division, tood up. "How many will rise with me to ignify they will comply with the hlofs request?" Mr. Bowman asked. It seemed as if everyone in the hall ose simultaneously, waving flags aken from the luncheon tables and heering. "We have pledged ourelves to save wheat for victory." Mr. lowman announced when quiet was estored. Dr. Alonzo Taylor, the food admlnst rat ion's representative on the war rude hoard, told the hotel men wheat him not a necessary element of diet, lit a luxury. "Wheat has no advantage in nutrlion or taste over corn, barley, rice or ther cereals," Doctor Taylor declared, and the patron who comes to you rlth the demand that he must have rheat and_ dther a slacker or a crank?and1^! mist not humor either. "The breakdown in the Gel-mar ood distribution system wns due tc he fact that the system was adminstered for the upper classes who could ret delicacies at the best hotels if the> lad the money to pay. The poor peoile could not pay and were forced o suffer. There was a great contrast n Knglnnd where the leading hoteh vere the flrst to cut off their menu? he food needed for soldiers and work>rs." Mr. Hoover made It clear thnt sue ess in rationing the Allies could not ie achieved other than by sacrifice ir he United States. "Our wheat situation is today thf riost serious situation in the food supply of the whole allied world," he hefan, speaking with evident feeling 'We have had a stock-taking in th< arly days of March," ho continued 'and we find that our harvest was less t I. l? IIUU II wua VOIIIIIUIVU. taiviv to uiwv mother .and more bitter difficulty ir he delays of shipping, in the growing scarcity of ships, that has thrown s arger burden upon the American people in feeding the Allies than we had mtlcipated. We had all expected thai he Argentine supply would be available in Europe before this time. Those supplies will not arrive for anothei wo months, and even then will he lest han we had expected. The consonance is that the supply of breadstuffs in Europe is at its lowest ebb There is but one source of supply and hat Is the United States." FIGHTERS MUST BE FED Necessary for Americana to Curtai Use of Wheat. Information that the bread ration ol he Kreneh soldiers who are facing tie mslnught of Germany's armies ha> seen cut because of the shortage ol vheat, has led the food administrator o plan drastic measures to curl soarding in this country. Wherevei here is cvldeqge that the withholding sf food is due to disloyalty or profleerlng, prompt action will be taken State administrators have been reninded that the food law authorize; he requisitioning of grain in the naional emergency and have been asked o he diligent In their Investiiratlon o! uses of alleged hoarding. They will orward the evidence obtained tc sVashlngton, where steps will be taker ss the individual case warrants. Wheat for the Allies becomes more mperative as the season progresses, ? .1? .1 nf Uoo In ?hln. )LT?USI* VI III*; uaii^vi V* ?...K >ing corn or potatoes after April 1, rtaen the period of germination sot* n. Up to March 15, the United State* vas 800,000 tons behind in Its prorramme of cereal export. Much o( he programme was to have been corn >ut the breakdown In railroad transjort&tion delayed shipment so thai vheat had to be sent abroad to averi amine. As only wheat and barley can b< (hipped after April 1, the public it K-lng asked to cut its consumption >f wheat to 50 per cent of normal ind even that sacrifice barely wli' itretch supplies to meet demand, uness every bushel held on farms sad u warehouses Is put on the market. The March 1 report of the departnent of agriculture showed 111,000, 00 bushels of wheat on farms and 19.000,000 bushels In elevators. 8lnc? he agitation in congress to increase he prlcf of wheat to 12.50 receipts at nllls have dwindled from 8,000,000 xishels to 8,000,000 bushels a. week. The only requisitioning ordered sc fitr hai boon in the case of two brothers of German ancestry, living in New 1 Mexico, who refused all offers. I'se of potatoes as a subsltute for * wheat, which has been urged by the ' food administration, will not l>e pos! sible in some sections because of ' traffic congestion. 1 GEN. FOCH IN COMMAND All Allied Armies Now Under One Direction. Great Britain, the I'nited States and Italy have ugreed to place all their armies under General Foch, of the French army, during the present operations in France, axtd Gen. Foch Is now acting as commander-in-chief. Gen. Ferdinand Foch is of liasque origin. He was born at Tarbee in 1S51, but was reared at Metz. Rather than become a German after the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine, Foch prefitfcml tn return fn nml hftln to prelum1 France for the present (lermun invasion. Fooh began mastering the strategy of the war of 1870 in its minutest details. Knowing the mentality of the Herman he counted upon their repeating in future conflicts the maneuvers that had succeeded. He also expected them to make some of the old mistakes. In his teachings at the Superior Watschool and in his writings he held always to the idea of an Inevitable aggression by Germany, sprung with lightning like rapidity, after long and most minute preparation?the swift thunderbolt of the opening to develop' into a struggle of colossal pro|>ortions. To parry the blow, Foch said repeatedly, France must have a staff working in the same direction, practicing the same doctrines under a vigorous and audacious chief. Foch foresaw Joffre as clearly as he roresaw inc war or isn, arising irom the same motives as the war of 1870 anil developing with the same objective ?Paris. He thousht he saw quite as clearly a different issue, and it would be difficult to estimate the value of the service he rendered to France by <ommunieating his conlldence to the young officers. His work at the Sul*>rior War school contributed largely to the perfection of the French army which, if less "disciplined" than the German army, was held by him to be far better "educated." The war found Foeh at Nancy, the headquarters of the Twentieth corps. His corps was attached to General t'astelnau's army nnd he was selected to command a new army concentrating behind the center of the forces marching to the Helgian frontier to meet the Germans. This army was not ready In time to take part in the battle of Charleroi, but It contributed singularly to the victory of the Marne. Foch's 120,000 men, holding the center nearly 200,000 Germans. "They are so frantic In their attacks," said Foch. "it must be that things are going badly with them elsewhere, so let's hold on." At another stage of the struggle aides came up with the disquieting news that both the right and left wings had been obliged to give ground. "In that case," said Foch. "there's nothing to do but smash them in the center. Order up the Moors." General DuHols, with the Moors on his left, smashed the Germans so hard in the center that the Hessian Guard was thrown back upon and Into the Saint Godad marshes. Von Haun's right wing was obliged to retire in unison and Foch was able to re-establish his line. After the battle of the Marne Foch was given command of a group of armies operating in the north of France and promoted to grand officer In the Legion of Honor. King George conferred upon him the Order of the Hath, first class. .* Tall, thin, elegant?with a fine head and features?General Foch is simple of bearing but authoritative. From his gray eyes shine the intelligence a ...til ? Hnn1 AklAf fn * Aluminum Production in tho United States.?The recent action of the president in fixing the price of aluminum at 32 cents calls attention to the rapid growth of this Industry in the United States, which has now become the leading world producer of aluminum. A compilation by The National City Bank of New York shows that the production of aluminum in the United States has grown from 40,000 lbs. in 1890 to 7,000,000 in 1900, 48,000,000 in 1910. 100,000,000 In 1918, 140,000,000 in 1914, and approximately 180,000,000 in 1917, these figures being In round terms. The value of the product, which amounted to a couple of million In 1900, was If mlllons In 1915, and approximately 44 millions In 1917. Exports of aluminum from the United States have crown from <1,047,000 in 1914 to <20,800,000 In 1917.?Commerce and Finance,-! N. Y.) President Wilson has made a telegraphic request to Governor Stephens of California, in behalf of Thomas 1. Mooney, now under death sentence for participation In a bomb explosion which occurred at San Francisco in July, 1914, during the preparedness parade, which caused the death of ten persons and injury of forty others. The president asks the governor to exercise executive clemency. i -v. . ; ;': 7 t i - . . v ' " ? > . . - . it iki win |Asw*rr ui a irai viiivi. an , conversation he shows his military . training by directing the course of his , talk like maneuver. When in May of last year General Joffre was succeeded in the command of the French armies operating on the French front I by General Petain, and General N'lville was placed in command of a group of j armies. Foch succeeded Petain as chief of the general staff of the ministry of war, a position he has held up to the I present, all the while working diligently upon the strategic moves in f which the French have been so suc, ccssful. , For some time It has been hinted f that General Foch might be appointed , head of all the allied forces, owing to , his known ability as a tactician and . his skill as a leader of men. All along , he has been impressed with the idea that a German vietory was impossible and frequently has expressed the , optnlon that th^ enemy forces would , never be able to pierce the allied line. [ Sheer Weight of Numbers.?In the ' German tactics of pushing in by sheer I weight of numbers, the non-commis> stoned officers have proved themselves i very valuable, according to a correspondent of the Daily Mail. . "They have led and rallied their ( men with energy and tact," he yrrites. "We have been told sometimes by , people who pretend to understand the i German army that in these very i <iuallties non-commissioned officers . would be found lacking." ' "Another cause of the progress of , the Germans has been the rapidity . with which/ they have brought up t their guns. Furthermore the German > superiority In numbers made it possible for the men to obtain rest. In s no case have the same Germans i fought on two consecutive days and i there were sufficient forces to admit I of relief being given to tired men on 1 crucial days of assault As for our own men. each night I have seen some 1 of them who were so tirod when relieved that they dropped down and slept where they fell." I The fabricated hull of an 8,800-ton f steel vessel was launched at a Pacific i shipyard last Wednesday, Just sixtyt two days after the laying of the keeL l This breaks the American record for rapid construction of steel veasela ? The best previous record was C7 days. f .'V.;, ... - . - STORY OF THE FIGHTING British Inflicted Heavy Lots and Suffered Small Damage. The great Herman effort, wrote an Associated Press correspondent from the French front last Friday, appears to have exhausted Itself. At many places along the front of attack the enemy is being driven back and at others the French and British are offering firm resistance. Infantry fighting has begun to give place to artillery battles and in the next few days the guns may be expected to speak loudly. In this respect the British and French have the advantage, inasmuch as the Germans have been unable to drag much artillery with them. They are engaged in establishing themselves in the positions to which they have advanced, but have not had tlmo thoroughly to orgunize their defenses. The main portion of today's fighting was around the northern Bector of the battlefield, where both the French and the British had a successful day, counterattacking with great vigor where the Germans threatened to push most deeply into their lines. At present the front is almost uneven. During the first rush the Germans Succeeded at some places in indenting the lines so that here and there were formed pockets which sooner or later must be straightened out. Further details concerning the first part of the battle show that no fewer than 38 German divisions wore thrown simultaneously against a front held by only eight British divisions, overwhelming them and forcing them back. Behind these British divisions were only three others in reserve, but the troops fought valiantly and delayed the German advance for a considerable time. Since then about 49 other German division* have been hurled into the battle (a total of t?7 divisions or, ni the present estimated strength of the German division, ubout 1,000,000 men.) Not only the army of the Itavarian crown prince, but also that of the German crown prince, is now engaged. The German generals immediately commanding the troops, front the north to the south, of the front attucker, are von Below, von Marwitz and von Hutier. The army of Gon. von Hutier faces the French ulong the Oise. It is very quiet today, after the bloody defeat of its attempt to cross the river. Most of the briges have now been blown up. The lighting has been much more severe in the sectors of von Below and von Marwitz. It Is evident the allies are gaining the upper hand and mastering the enemy with artillery. Owing to the terrible casualties among his aviators, the enemy is cornpulled to feel almost blindly for weak spots in the allied lines, which he has been seeking constantly so us to throw against them some of his dense masses, BTheth .11. la _ remsmhfiiart . Out?ttW m enemy had more than a division for every thousand yards of the front on which ho attacked, an Ideu may bo gained of the difficulties with which tho iiIIIau Imvn litmn liPHitf At one point, on the Corzat Canal, where the Germans eventually gained a crossing, they made 16 different attacks one day. Finally the Britlah corps which was holding the position, fell back, absolutely exhausted, and the Germans crossed over a bridge of pfled-up bodies of their own comrades. The German advance has been more rapid at some points and the allies have scarcely had time to get away their cannon, as no horses wen near. One French battery of 7&s was dragged five miles with ropes by the gunners. who succeeded in saving it One of the German prisoners expressed surprise at the small number of British dead found on the battleHeld. Tljey had been told the British In front of them had been annihilated. It was evident small groups had fought gamely to the last, giving the Germans the lmpreosion that large forces were facing them. The same prisoner salil the Germans hail formed a special corps, whose duties were to advance behind the fighting troops and strip all clothing from the dead. The bodies, he s- 'd were buried without any covering, and the clothing thus obtained was served out again. Iteports from other parts of the front seem to indicate that elsewhere the line is being held by mediocre divisions brought from the Russian front, the best troops havLng been withdrawn to participate in the battle. Every one of the divisions which has been Identified since the offensive began had been already classified as effective. Among them are three of the famous guard divisions and some of Bavarians. Whether the Germans will hurl more divisions into the furnace, is of course, unknown. It is considered possible that they still have approximately 40 divisions which may be used to replace those that have suffered most heavily in the recent offensive