Show t G 11 t ener dI Pell ll jt- jt g countries by b. the tho I North American E Sf World Newspaper t Alliance I re Cee o t. t ory 0 ol I th e A E. E F ei Scandinavian served Including Reo Reproduction Re Re- the production in whole or In part prohibited E E By h ling ft 1 Service CHAPTER Continued Continued The assaulting lines of ot Infantry accompanied ac nc- companied by numerous tanks succeeded succeeded suc suc- tec ed without difficulty In rea reaching i th the limited objectives Fort I Mn wn the key point was red reduced peed toa to toa toa a a heap of rubbish by the very heavy fire concentrated upon It The he capture of this dominant position bythe by bythe the French caused the Immediate withdrawal with with- ith of the Germans on the right Ight and left nd during the succeeding fortnight thc they retired behind tile the Allette Victory Is Offset This achievement ement of the Trench French In n capturing positions against which the he April offensive by Nivelle dashed d it itself It- It self elf to pieces had bad a 3 very stimulating effect upon their morale but It would have bare been more lasting had It not been toll followed wed so soon by the serious de do- feat fent of the Italians at October October Oc Oc- Oc tober 24 After Arter extending thanks to our host we left for literally cov covered ered covered with mud stopping there to con congratulate General letain on the success success suc sue cess of the day While at we dropped In fn at the dispensary where some some American women under Miss Elsie De Wolfe who afterward became became became be be- came Lady Mend Mendl maintained a clinic for badly burned gas cases We also atso made a 3 brief call at the hospital nearby nearby nearby near near- by to see Colonel Varila Bunau-Varila of ot Panama canal fame who had lost a a 8 leg at the recent French offensive near Verdun From his cheerful mood he seemed to be rather proud of ills his wound In 1927 1327 I took part In the dedIcatIon dedication dedication dedica dedIca- tion of ot the Ossuary near Verdun at nt which Colonel Bunau Varila was pres- pres ent On the rounds to Inspect this fine monument we passed the many bays bass which contain the bones of ot men who lost their lives H In fn the great bat bat- tle When we came carne to the bay corresponding corresponding corresponding cor cor- cor- cor responding to the tile sector In which he fought he lie Jovially remarked that he be bethought thought his leg must be in there Dock Construction Delayed Toward the end of ot October accompanied accompanied by Gens Richard Bichard N N. Blatchford and Mason M M. Patrick and Cols Charles It It n. Krauthoff and David S. S Stanley I 1 visited Bordeaux one of ot the ports chosen for tor the use of ot Amer American Amerlean lean Ivan troops A As facilities AS' ver were were only ones Ti sufficient fo accommodate a limited amount of ot additional medium draft shipping we had Imd started the construction construction tion of flew ew docks at Bassens 12 miles below where deep water would permit permit permit per per- mit vessels to come alongside Although Although Al Al- though considerable quantities of material ma ma- had been sent over this new construction was delayed principally principal because of ot the lack of piling which the engineers had planned to have ha brought from the Pacific coast An incident happened In connection with the shipments of piling from home borne that would have been amusing If It it had not been so serious One ship chip that reached Bordeaux was supposed supposed supposed sup sup- posed to be loaded with especially long piling but upon Inspection n the engineers engineers engineers engi engi- found it much shorter than pr pre pre- scribed Upon Inquiry It was learned that tha to get the piles In between bulkheads bulkheads bulk bulk- heads beads the supercargo had sawed l the ends off While speaking of ot forest products another example of inefficiency inefficIency elency that occurred a little later might be mentioned One of ot the vessels from home borne was vas loaded h hv by the quartermasters quartermaster's depart depart- among them I 1 spoke to two colonels and criticized the lack Inck of ot sanitation but it ft was Vas evident that t they were unable unable un un- un able to compel the men to work vor evento evento even evento to the he extent of cleaning out stables stables latrines s or drains and the condl conditions ons may be better Ima imagined than de de- scribed The men w were were re a a hen heavy stupid stu stu- pid pfd looking looking lot who in hi their new estale estate estate es es- es- es tate tale apparently did not care how bad things things' were were so long as ns the Fren French h continued to feed teed and clothe them Progress I Is N Noted ted which lies miles directly direct dIrect- ly south of ot Paris became the site site of ot our principal supply depot In France Un Under er Col C C. C J J. J able and I euer energetic direction c construction to cover cover rover cov- cov er an area of Cit 12 square miles was going going going go go- ing forward with all nIl possible speed Colonel S was gradually putting put ting dreg order and s system slem Into the place Regardless of ot the adverse conditions un under CI which the line of tinny was laboring labeling th there rc was everywhere everywhere every every- everywhere where a fine line and enthusiastic spirit among the tIle officers and men who ho without without with with- out exception were che cheerful l' l ul and After nIl all considering the lack otmen of ot men and m material we were making progress on the on-the the ph physical side of ot the organization that would feed clothe and furnish munitions for the tile great army armye we e hoped to have One obstacle however was to be found In fn the number of ot Independent bureaus represented at th the ports portS and the larger centers of ot activity not only In our own system but especially in that of ot the French and the consequent consequent consequent conse conse- quent difficulty of securing teamwork among them As a n remedy I 1 sent to each base section a competent general officer with an organized staff starr to coordinate co co- ordInate and systematize the man man- management of affairs and In a brief time consi able able ahle Improvement was noticeable noticeable noticeable notice notice- able in methods of ot handling troop arrivals arrivals ar nr- ar- ar rivals and cargo and In the Increased progress of construction CHAPTER Breakfasting with me In Paris November No November November vember 4 1 1917 17 the British prime min ister Mr Lloyd George referred to the tIle Italian defeat at nt as being be being ing a most serIous disaster and pointe point point- e out ed-out Out that sending British and French divisions to Italy had materially Weakened weak weakened ened erred the lines In France Mr Lloyd George eorge also spoke at some length on the lack of ot concerted action among the allied armies I 1 agreed with him and anil added that thai In my opinion there never had been real leal operation co-operation on the western front between the British and French that when one was attacking the other was usually standing still and that thai the tile Germans were thus l loft left ft free tree to concentrate concentrate concentrate concen concen- their rese reserves es against the tile threatened threatened threatened threat threat- ened point We We were facing a grave grae crisis next year if it not sooner s said id Mr Lloyd George and no one knew how It was to be met The enemy might attack each one separately with the same results as In the case of ot Italy He then asked what I thought of creatIng creating creating creat creat- ing a n supreme war council Having In mind councils called to decide upon military operations in the field I told him that the advice of ot war councils was not usually of any great value and that the proposition did not appeal to me I 1 said that authority should be vested somewhere to to co M t n Graves Gravel of Corporal J J. J B B. B Gresham and Privates Enright and Hay meat with shavings for tor the cold storage stor- stor age g plant Instead of ot steel billets s forthe for forthe the manufacture of guns when n tons of sawdust and shavings could have been obtained from the logging districts ts In France Trance Trouble With Russians Continuing th the inspection we wenton went ent on n Sunday to about about- forty wiles miles from Bordeaux thinking It might possibly be bp avana available l for or our use later on It was then occupied by y a brigade of disaffected Russians Who bo like most of ot their fellows had ball defied their officers and and refused refuse to Participate further In the war After being withdrawn from tile the line tine they had nad given the French Trench so much trouble e eVen en to committing d depredations pr on the P people ople that they had to o be sent out ut of the zone rone of the armies to this rather remote camp where they were held eld practically as prisoners There was no transportation to carry carry car car- ry them back to Russia as they had been allowed to keep their firms arms It 11 was to enforce discipline nate the operations on the western front and suggested the possibility of having baving a n supreme commander there Lloyd George Favors Council Mr Lloyd G George orge replied In effect that It was unlikely that the allies would agree upon any anyone one as the h French would object to any but a R Frenchman and the British might not like that He TIe thought the council would be useful for tor the purpose primarily primarily marily manly of ot bringing the heads of ot the allied governments t together gether at intervals Intervals Intervals Inter Inter- vals to determine general policies I 1 admitted that such an organization organization tion might serve to unite the allies In III common purpose but bot that the conduct of ot operations by the combined armlet armies b should be under military direction I 1 got the distinct Impression that while he lie was was seeking to secure greater unity of ot action h he also sought some means of ot controlling the activities of ot the British army During previous months that army had been engaged In fn almost continuous off offensive ens ve operations practically single-handed single with M very vary heavy beavy losses and few compensating ad Mr Lloyd George went on to say that there was to be a n meeting of the prime ministers at nt Rapallo Italy and that he hoped they might reach some sonic agreement agreement agreement agree agree- ment that would result In a n council such as ns he hc had In mind He thought that the United States ought to be represented represented represented rep rep- resented at nt this meeting and suggested suggest suggest- ed that I should attend As the purpose purpose pur pur- pose of a n council seemed to be more moie for political ordination co-ordination than for fur purely military control I told him that It seemed best for me not to participate participate participate pate without some intimation from my government to do so In the afternoon at M. M I The European allies and Ame America ica are not fighting for the same samo thing Mr Wilson thinks a n great de deal l more of ot his Ideas of ot people governing themselves themselves them them- selves of ot a n friendly working arrangement arrange ment meat among all the great grent powers nt after er erthe the war than he does of ter or specific things going to this or that country What he hc wants is to smash the German military power and have havea a R society of ot democratic nations after after- wards But to England France and Italy these things are phrases useful perhaps but of ot secondary Interest England wants to maintain her colonial po possessions to keep her position position position tion on the sea and her commercial 1 place in the world We know what American Troops Moving to the Front request I 1 called on him and he Ile also told me rue of the proposal to form a su supreme supreme su- su u- u preme war council and wanted me to tog togo togo g go to the conference nce In Italy I gave gate him the same reply that I had given Mr Ir Lloyd George Shortly thereafter the Rapallo meetIng meeting meeting meet- meet Ing was held resulting In an nn agreement agreement agreement agree agree- ment among the tile prime ministers of the governments participating Great Britain France and Italy Approved by Wilson The creation of the council did not meet with universal approval al the commanders of ot the British and French armies and high officials in fn civil circles being opposed to it Military commanders were afraid it would result result result re re- sult In undue Interference with the conduct of ot operations and In derision It was often otten referred to as the soviet The action of ot the tile three governments governments governments govern govern- ments at Rapallo was approved by President Wilson November 17 and that fact appeared In fn the press a day or so later The Presidents President's action strengthened the hands of ot those who favored the council and probably became the influence influence ence that saved It The Tile fact is that If ff the French and British army commanders in a friendly friend friend- ly spirit of ot operation co-operation had made a joint study of the military problem of the western front as a s shad a n whole and then had seriously undertaken to pull together together together to to- gether as ns though under one control the supreme war council council would never have been born The Tile supreme war council made a n favorable start and gave the Impression impression impression sion that a wise and conservative exercise exercise ex ex- ex- ex of Its really unlimited powers would characterize Us its actions It refrained retrained re re- trained from interfering directly with witt military commanders and operations and confined itself largely to questions of ot policy such as the ordination co-ordination of ot allied resources and the conservation and distribution of allied strength However as ns time went on the supreme supreme su su- su- su preme war council assumed greater and greater authority over military questions Conflict With Wilson Ideals As to the political situation the undercurrent undercurrent un nn- un- un at the moment as ns nearly as ns could be learned showed a n continued continued continued con con- lack of accord among the different differ r- r ent nations which were not at all nIl In agreement with President Wilsons Wilson's Ideals Each had its own aspirations and each sought to gain some advantage advantage adan tage over o the others Some of ot the divergent divergent di di- war alms aims had to do with territory ter ter- distant from France and troops were sent that might have ha been more usefully employed on the western front In a n letter to Secretary of ot War Baker Daker I a memorandum wl which was a n report of ot a n conversation held by bya byn a n man In my confidence with a British official high up In fn the counsel of ot Great Britain The date of this conversation conversation conversa conversa- tion was October 24 1917 7 Perhaps It should not be taken too seriously I wrote but It is an indication indi cation of ot the British attitude Sees Difference In Alms In this conversation the British official declared France wants Alsace wants Alsace Lorraine as ns Indemnity Indemnity Indemnity In In- and security for tor the future Italy has definite territorial claims Thus the governments governments of ot these countrIes countries countries coun coun- tries think a 8 great deal about what they want for tor themselves and less about Ideals unless these Ideals are Incidental to success So there is no clear unity among the allies in Europe and America CHAPTER Soon after the First division entered entered entered en en- a n quiet sector of ot the the peaceful aspect of ot the situation |