Show I AMERICANS PROVE I WORTH IN BATTLE OU OUR TROOPS HAVE BECOME A FACTOR IN FIGHTING AT ATTHE T S THE WEST FRONT Adapt Themselves Readily to Modern Tactics in Warfare and Are Fearless Fearless Fearless Fear- Fear less in Action According to Reports of Military Men Somewhere in France Thc The past fortnights fortnight's fighting by American troops in three different sectors of the west Cst front shows conclusively ly the Importance Importance importance tance of the United States army in the world war and proves that will it-will be bea a powerful pO factor on the front from the very start It refutes at the same time the Germans Germans' Ocr Gel mans' mans contemptuous statements that it would require two years ears to train even th the smallest army to be ready to take take the field S In the Am American rican sector north of I Toul in the Son nine sector and along the ChemIn des Dames the Americans met the shock of picked German storm troops hurled them back and Inflicted serious losses and emerged from the conflict smiling ready and eager for another try S Many of the tire most optimistic military mIll mili ta tary leaders and critics are surprised by the aptitude the Americans show in picking up knowledge of modern posItion po- po warfare forty months after the others had been engaged The French and Germans picked up the new tactics tactics tactics tac tac- tac- tac tics slowly building stronger In in- trenched positions as the enemy artillery artillery artil artil- lery grew heavier devising masks against gas then perfecting the masks masks masks' as the gases became more powerful building deeper dugouts as the tIle penetration penetration pene pene- of the high velocity ty shells became became became be be- came greater But the Americans entered entered entered en en- the struggle in the thick of it after three and a half years ears fighting Readily and rapidly they iney adapted d themselves to the advanced stages of s scientific fighting reached readied by hy the others No small part partIn In the success of the Ameri Americans so far is due to the fearlessness fearless fearless- ness of the high command In dIscardIng discardIng discard discarding ing tactics that have been been- found obsolete obsolete lete hete and concentrating upon training in matters long proved effective For example example example ex ex- ample the handling of pistol rifle and ba bayonet onet is being drilled drilled drilled Into the American troops despite the for three years that the day of the Infantry man with the guns Is long since over and that the cartridge cartridge car car- and the tue ba bayonet onet have been superseded su su- Su I superseded by hand grenades Half a dozen defeats of German attempts attempts attempts at at- tempts to penetrate the American positions positions post post- were due entirely to the fact that our troops have confidence In rifle fire The They stand steadily until the enemy Is well within range and then open up a deadly fire causing him to break brenk for cover S The scoffed much-scoffed elasticity front also has been adopted by the American command which refuses to sacrifice lives by holding advanced lines heavily ily By manned because heavy losses invarIably invariably in in- invariably variably result when the enemy con con- his artillery or destructive fire against such lines Instead our troops are distributed with the aim of escaping unnecessary casualties Even though the enemy may be able to enter our front line Une a counter-attack counter immediately ejects him himi At this Season especially the everywhere offers otTers an excellent cushion for exploding shells so although the tile themen themen men are ale spattered with mud from head to heels they often escape the steel splinters Their helmets also save them many ninny wounds |