Vilas County news. [volume], December 11, 1918, Image 6

About Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927

Image provided by: Wisconsin Historical Society

                
STORY OF W IS
. TOLD OF PERSHING
Detaiied Report of How U. S. Men
Won Battles.
CRISIS CAME ON MARCH 21
> Says American Operations Previous to
That Date Were Only a Part cf
Their Training—Pays Su-
preme Tribute to Army.
Washington, Dec. 5. —Gen. John J.
Pershing's account of his stewardship
ns commander of the American expe
ditionary forces was given to the pub
lic Wednesday by Secretary Baker.
It is in tiie form of a preliminary re
port to the secretary, covering opera
tions up to November 20, after the
German collapse. It closes with these
words from the leader of the great
army in France, expressing his feeling
for those who served under him:
“I pay the supreme tribute to our
officers and soldiers of the line. When
I think of their heroism, their patience
under hardsips, their unflinching spirit
of offensive action. 1 am filled with
emotion which 1 am unable to express.
Their deeds are immortal and they
have earned the eternal gratitude of
our country.’’
The report begins with General
Pershing’s departure for France to
pave the way for the army that was to
smash German resistance on the
Meuse and give vital aid to the allies
in forcing Germany to its knees 19
months later.
Crisis on March 21.
General Pershing views the encoun
ters before March 21 of this year, in
which American troops participated as
a part of their training, and dismisses
them briefly. On that date, however,
the great German offensive was
launched and a crucial situation quick
ly developed in the allied lines which
trailed for prompt use of the four
American divisions that were at the
time "equal to any demands of battle
action."
sh leads up to the time the stage was
set for the counter-offensive which, be
ginning with the smashing of the ene
my’s Marne salient, brought over
whelming victory to the allies and the
United States in the eventful months
that have followed. The intimation is
strong that General Pershing’s advice
helped Marshal Foch to reach his de
cision to strike.
Counter-Offensive Opens.
General Pershing continues:
“The great force of the German
Chateau Thierry offensive established
tlie deep Marne sailent, but the enemy
wus taking chances, and the vulnera
bility of this pocket to attack might
be turned ; ' his disadvantage.
“Seizing this opportunity to support
my conviction, every division with any
sort of training was made available
for use in a counter-offensive. The
place of honor in the thrust toward
Soissons on July 18 was given to our
First 'and Second divisions in com
pany with chosen French divisions.
“W ithout the usual brief warning of
a preliminary bombardment, the
massed French ami American artillery,
tiring by tlie map, laid down its rolling
barrage at dawn while the infantry be
gan its charge. The tactical handling
bl' our troops under these trying condi
tions was excellent throughout the ac
tion.
“The enemy brought up large num
bers of reserves and made a stubborn
defense both with machine guns and
artillery, but through five days’ fight
ing the First division continued to ad
vance until.it had gained the heights
above Soissons and captured tlie vil
lage of Berzy-le-Sec.
‘The Second division took Beau Re
paire farm and Vierzy in a very rapid
advance and reached a position in
front of Tigny nt the end Of its second
day. These two divisions captured 7.-
000 prisoners and over 100 pieces of
artillery.”
Battle of St. Mihiel.
of the reduction of the St. Mihiel
salient General Pershing says:
“After four hours’ artillery prepa
ration the seven American divisions
in the front line advanced at 5 a. m.
on September 12. assisted by a limit
ed number of tanks manned partly by
Americans and partly by the French.
“These divisions, accompanied by
groups of wire-cutters and others
armed with bangalore torpedoes, went
though the successive bands of
barbed wire that protected the ene
my’s front line and support trenches
in irresistible waves on schedule time,
breaking down all defense of an en
emy demoralized by the great volume
of our artillery fire and our sudden
approach out of the fog.
“Our First corps advanced to Thiau
court, while our Fourth corps curved
back to the southwest through Non
sard. The Second Colonial French
corps made the slight advance re
quired of it on very difficult ground,
and the Fifth corps took its three
ridges and repulsed a counter-attack.
“A rapid march brought reserve reg
iments of a division of the Fifth corps
Into Vigneulles in the early morning,
where it linked up with patrols of our
Fourth corps, closing the salient and
forming a new line west of Thiaucourt
to Vignt ulles and beyond Fresnes-en-
Woevrc.
16.000 Prisoners Taken.
“At a cost of only 7.000 casualties,
mostly light, we had taken 16.000 pris
oners and 443 guns, » great quantity
of material, released the iuhubrtaDts
of many villages from enemy domina
tion and established our lines in a po
sition to threaten Metz.
"This signal success of the Ameri
can First army in its first offensive
was of prime importance. The allies
found they had a formidable army to
aid them, and the enemy learned final
ly that he had one to reckon with.”
The report shows for the first time
officially (hat with this brilliantly exe
cuted coup. General Pershing’s men
tiad cleared.(be way for the great ef
fort of the allies and American forces
to win a conclusive victory. The
American army moved at once toward
its crowning achievement, The battle
of the Meuse.'
Tlie general tells a dramatic story
of this mighty battle in three distinct
phases, beginning on the night of
September 27, when Americans quick
ly took the places of the French on
the thinly held line of this long, quiet
sector. The attack opened on Septem
ber 2G, and the Americans drove
through entanglements, across No
Man’s Land, to take al) the enemy’s
first-line positions.
Battle of the Meuse.
Closing the chapter, General Per
shing says:
" "On November G a division of the
First corps reached a point on the
Meuse opposite Sedan, 25 miles from
our lines of departure. The strategi
cal goal which was our highest hope
was gained. We bad cut the enemy’s
main line of communications, and
nothing could save his arm;- from
complete disaster.
“In all forty enemy divisions had
been used against us in the Meuse-
Argonne battle. Between Septembei
2G and November G we took 20,050
prisoners and 4GS guns on this front.
“Our divisions engaged were the
First, Second. Third, Fourth. Fifth,
Twenty-sixth. Twenty-eighth, Twenty
ninth. Thirty-second, Thirty-third.
Thirty-fifth. Thirty-seventh. Seventy
eighth. Seventy-ninth. Eightieth.
Eighty-second. Eighty-ninth, Ninetieth
and Ninety-first.
"Many of our divisions remained in
line for a length of time that re
quired nerves of steel, while others
were sent in again after only a few
days of rest. The First. Fifth, Twen
ty-sixth. Forty-second, Seventy-sev
enth. Eightieth. Eighty-ninth and
Ninetieth were in the line twice.
Although some of the divisions
were fighting their first battle, they
soon became equal to the best.
First U. S. Planes in May.
"The first airplanes received from
home arrived in May, and altogether
we have received 1,37!). The first
American squadron completely
equipped by American production, in
cluding airplanes, crossed*the German
lines on August 7, 1918.
“As to tanks, we were also com
pelled to rely upon the French. Here,
however, we were less fortunate. for
the reason that the French produc
tion could barely meet the require
ments of their own armies.
"It should l>e fully realized that the
French government has always taken
a most liberal attitude and has been
most anxious to give us every possi
ble assistance in meeting our deficien
cies in these as well as in other re
spects. Our dependencies upon
France for artillery, .aviation and
tanks was. of course, due to the fact
that our industries had not been ex
clusively devoted to military proo-v
---tion.
"All credit is due our own manu
facturers for their efforts to meet our
own requirements, as at the time the
armistice was signed we were able to
look forward to the early supply of
practically all our necessities from
our own factories.”
SECRETARY OF WAR’S REPORT
Says Question of Permanent Reorgan
ization of Army Has Been
Deferred.
'Washington. Dec. o.—The question
of permanent organization of the army
has been deferred for consideration
after the close of the peace confer
ence. Secretary Baker, in his annual
report says this course is determined
upon since “the military needs of the
United States cannot be prudently as
sessed until that conference shall have
determined the future international
relations of the world."
For temporary purposes, however.
Mr, Baker announces that he will lay
before congress a plan of reorganiza
tion for the regular army, "which shall
continue as the nucleus of any future
military establishment."
The secretary also indicates his"in
tention to press for perpetuation by
law of the strong general staff organi
zation built up during the war.
WILSON’S SHIP HITS STORM
U. S. S George Washington Battling
Eastward in Face of Sweeping
Northwest Gale.
New York. Dec. s.—The steamship
George Washington, namesake of the
first leader in the world’s struggle for
democracy, is battling her way east
ward in the face of a sweeping north
west storm, carrying across the At
lantic America’s peace delegates with
a message of “Peace ami equality for
all n’.eji ’’
A piece of blue bunting with the na
tional coat of arms and five stars, the
flag of the president of the United
States, is being whipped to the breeze
and entwined about her foremast as
she feels her way across the foam
lashed seas with Woodrow Wilson,
first president of the world’s greatest
republic to cross to the mother? a nds.
THE VILAS COUNTY NEWS. EAGLE RIVER. WIS.
HAPPENINGS
OF THE WEEK
IN WISCONSIN
Madison —The state board of control
has word from the federal government
fixing the price of binding twine, such
as is manufactured at the state pris
on, for next year as follows: Standard
500 feet to pound, 21 cents; climax.
600 feet to pound, 25 V 2 cents. The
price fixed by the government is for
carload lots for cash. For this same
twine the state prison last year
charged 21 cents for standard and 24
cents for climax, with a half cent de
duction for car lots. There was man
ufactured at the state prison last year
over 5,000,000 pounds of twine, of
which 4,500,000 pounds were sold to
farmers of Wisconsin. Farmers were
saved an average of 2’/i cents on every
pound of twine sold, it is claimed, a
saving of $112,500.
Racine The factory of the Mai
bohm Motor company was swept away
by fire, causing a loss of $250,000 with
about half that amount of insurance.
Seven firemen narrowly escaped being
burned to death when a roof on which
they were engaged in throwing
streams of water on to the fire caved
in. The fire is of an unknown origin,
it broke out suddenly and swept tlie
entire building two stories high of
brick construction, The entire fire de
partment was called out. The facto
ries of the Johnson & Son company
and Belle City Incubator company
were threatened with destruction as
were many business houses and resi
deuces.
Milwaukee—Charles E. Estabrook,
attorney general of Wisconsin during
Gov. Rusk’s second term and re
elected in 1888; city attorney of Mani
towoc; three times elected to the leg
islature from Manitowoc county and
twice from the city of Milwaukee,
civil war veteran and secretary of the
Milwaukee county park commission
died suddenly at his home here ol
heart failure. Gen. Estabrook wat
born in Platteville, Oct. 31, 1847, and
was educated at the Platteville acad
emy and the Platteville normal school
Janesville Plans are being made
here for a celebration which will be
held when Company M of the Wis
consin National guards arrive home
from France. Company M is a unit o
the Thirty-second division, said b.
military critics to be one of the besr
divisions in France. It is now a par
of the army of occupation. Company
M is composed entirely of Janesville
and Rock county boys, who have taken
part in many of the big battles of the
war.
Madison Prof. Frederick Jacksor
Turner, a native Badger and for man.
years closely identified with the Uni
verSity of Wisconsin, is being men
ticned in connection with the appoint
ment of a successor to the late Charle.
R. Van Hise, as president of the in
stitution. Prof. Turner holds a pre
eminent position in the educationa
world as the historian of the Unitet
States’ western expansion.
I,a Crosse Victor L. Berger, con
gressman-elect and State Senate
Louis A. Arnold were indicted joint],
on sixteen counts at La Crosse. Boti
are charged by the United State:
grand jury with having violated., th.
espionage act. This, is the third in
dictment returned against Mr. Bee
ger. He has been indicted in Chicago
Milwaukee and La Crosse.
Racine —Although he is minus hi.
right hand, the member having beet
cut off in an accident, Harry Harvey
of this city, holds a sergeancy in tlu
Ambulance corps, and has been sen
to France. When he first applied foi
enlistment, he was turned down, bu
later was given a post in the quarter
master’s department, and finally as
signed loathe Ambulance corps.
Kenosha— ‘Caught with the good
on him,” really applies to Oliver
Thomas, arrested here on a charge o.
stealing underwear. When Oliver was
searched he was found to be a regu
lar underwear sample case. Aftei
the police had taken a number of gar
ments from his body, they found more
in his room. The stolen underweai
was worth S9O.
La Crosse —Ada Meiklejohn was
granted a divorce from Walter S.
Meiklejohn, theatrical man, Oct. 5.
Within a month, it is alleged, she mar
ried John H. Wrey in Winona. She
was served with an order to show
cause why her divorce decree should
not be set aside under the law prohib
iting remarriage within a year.
Neenah The new honor roll in
the city of Menasha contains over 500
names. There are many names on the
Neenah honor roll, making a total o!
over 1,000 young men from the Twin
cities who entered Uncle Sam’s serv
ice.
Oshkosh Three representatives of
Kansas farmers have been in Winne
bago county to purchase sixty head oi
'Guernsey heifers and young cows.
The party consists of T. J. Jeffords,
agent of the “Katy” railway; D. L.
Harcourt, agent of a separator com
pany and a Mr. Dyer, a Kansas
banker.
Beloit—Mami* Osgood, 7 years old,
-<,.s asphyxiate 7 />y escaping gas from
, stove while Lne slept in her home.
The child’s mother had left the house
for a brief period.
Madison The Industrial commis
sion awarded $3,600 compensation to
Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph Balke against
The International Harvester Corpora
tion, . In whose employ theix - son,
slightly less than 18, was killed June
21, while engaged as electrician’s
helper. The child labor law provides
that no one under 18 may be employed
in electrical work, but the boy mis
represented his age. The commission
ruled, however, that responsibility as
to age of emplayes rests with the em
ployer. The regular award is four
times the sum contributed by a minor
to the support of his parents, in the
Balke case, S3OO, but due to the child
labor law violation the sum was
trebled.
Madison—Tlie experiment in train
ing of carrier pigeons for the ax my
signal corps, carried on for five
months by Prof. L. J. Cole, Univer
sity of Wisconsin, under direction of
the war department, has been com
pleted. The signal corps sergeant,
who assisted Prof. Cole, has taken the
government pigeons to Fort Monroe.
The training involved flights from half
a mile to thirteen miles, undex - vari
ous conditions, at various times of
day or night, and always under
careful timing and recording to
ascertain success of the various meth
ods undertaken.
La Crosse —One hundred and twen
ty-six indictments, fox - offense against
practically all of the wax - measures
passed by congress, were reported by
the federal grand jury before Judge
Sanborn. District Attorney A. C.
Wolfe refused to make public any of
the indictments until warrants are
served, but indicated that the true
bills charge violation of the espionage
act. After reporting, the jury was not
discharged but was excused, subject
to call. It was indicated they might
be reconvened for other matters.
Sheboygan The James H. Mead
club, Sheboygan's finest recreation
hall, has been thrown open to working
girls. Since its organization two
years ago the club has been exclusive
ly for members. Classes in dancing,
gymnastics, singing, reading and dra
matics will be formed. Any girl is
eligible on payment of 5 cents. Club
fees are waived. Classes are held on
different evenings, to enable girls to
enroll.in more than one class.
Oshkosh Plans are to be made
here for entertaining and welcoming
all Oshkosh soldiers returning from
the wax'. As some will come homo
singly and in small groups, it has
been decided to have welcoming re
epctions at regular intervals, enter
taining those arriving home in the in
tervals between receptions. In that
way no one will be slighted and the
honors will be bestowed upon all
alike.
Beloit The Jewish congregation
of Bnel Abraham has purchased the
property formerly used by the Beth
lehem Norwegian Lutheran church
and will have it for their synagogue.
The new Jewish congregation includes
twenty-two families. They have been
contributing liberally for a long time
to a church building fund and find it
possible now to support a church.
Kenosha - Official telegrams from
the wax - department announce that
Lieut. Howard M. Morrissey, former
well known Kenosha dentist, has been
killed in action on the western front.
He was serving witTT the dental re
serves and was killed on Nov. 1. He
wafe widely known among the alum
nae of Marquette university in Mil
waukee.
Eau Claire —James A. Smith, ranked
among Wisconsin foremost fire insur
ance men and conspicuous in the busi
ness life of Eau Claire for thirty years
died here, aged 57 years. He was
stricken by heart failure as he was
entering his office. He is survived by
his sister and an adopted daughter.
He was a thirty-second degree Mason
and an Elk.
Appleton—lt is doubtful if anyone
in this city has more nephews in the
service than Peter Miller. He has
xen. They are William Ecke, John and
Edward Young, John Fraser, and Wil
liam, Joseph and John Smith of this
city, and John, Frank and Anton
Schuh of Summit.
La Crosse —Shot by a playmate.
William Thompson, 8-year-old son of
Alex Thompson of Viroqua, is in a
critical condition. A charge of shot
lodged in his eye. The boy was play
ing “soldier” when he received his in
jury.
La Crosse —On the verge of leaving
for France, Miss Ella Tibbitts oi
North Bend, a nurse, postponed her
trip to attend Miss Rose McCauly, a
nurse, who was stricken with influen
za. The lattex - recovered, but Miss Tib
bitts contracted the disease and died
Marinette Joseph Behnke of this
city is reported severely wounded, Oct.
20, in France. He went overseas with
Co E Three Hundred Fifty-third in
fantry, in the Eighty-ninth division.
Madxson Bernice Michelson, tele
phone operator, spread the alarm of
fire throughout the city of Stoughton,
while flames were threatening the
room in which she was working. The
post office and several business houses
were destroyed at a loss of $25,000.
Rhinelander —Fox - thirty years this
city had a Chinese laundry. Yee York
has closed his establishment and dis
appeared. He informed a patron he
had made enough money to supply him
with small change for the rest of his
life.
An International Service Built
on Tiny Profits Per Pound
Some industries have been able to get in
step with war demands more quickly than
others.
In many cases mighty plants have sprung
up —but at a prodigious cost.
The packing industry was able to adapt
itself to unheard of demands more quickly,
perhaps, than any other industry. And this
was because the vast equipment of packing
plants, refrigerator cars, branch houses, etc.,
had been gradually developed to its present
state of efficiency, so that in the crucial hour
it became a mighty international system for
war service. #
And how had this develops tent taken place?
Not by making vast inroads into the capi
tal wealth of the country, but largely by using,
from year to year, a portion of the profits, to
provide for expansion.
Swift & Company’s profits have always been so
tiny, compared with sales, that they have had practic
ally no effect on the price of meat (amounting to only
a fraction of a cent per pound).
And yet the owners of the business have been
content with reasonable returns on their capital, and
have been able, year after year, to put part of the
profits back into the business to provide for its
expansion.
These fractions of tiny profits have been repaid to
to the public many fold in the form of better service,
and better and cheaper meat, and made it possible for
Swift & Company to meet, undaunted, the sudden
cry for meat for overseas.
Could any other method of financing a vital
industry involve less hardship to the people of the
• country? Could there be a better instance of true
“profit-sharing” than this return in added usefulness
and in national preparedness ?
Swift & Company, U. S, A.
Of Greater Difficluty.
Catherine was learning to read In
her primer. She had great difficulty
in remembering the word “have,” but
cox’.ld remember much longer words. I
said to her when she came asking
egain for me to tell her, “Why Cath
erine, you can remember ‘mamma,’
‘school,’ and ‘kitty,’ why can’t you re
member ‘have?’ ”
“But, mother,” she said, “have is
a lots harder word to get acquainted
with.”
Autho-itative.
Mabel —That fish looks like trout.
I'm very fond of trout. 1 wonder if it
Is trout.
Norma —Why don’t you ask the
chef?
Mabel (to chef, sweetly)—What kind
of fish is that?
Chef—That is fried fish, ma’am.—
Judge.
Too Stout to Skip.
"How stoot Mrs. E. is!”
“Yes, she can’t even skip through a
dull story”—Town Topics.
MraHl ©TGold Mog
1 coming to farmers from the rich wheat fields of
aX t| e9tern Canada. Where you can buy good farm land Wsjß
at sls to S3O per acre and raise from 20 to 45 bushels
Mb I® $2 wheat to the acre it’s easy to make money. Canada 'u«'.vta,3
■'B offers in her provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta
r;| 160 Acre Homesteads Free to Settlers ' $
I S an ff other land at very low prices. Thousands of Wv\v 1 hU
1)9 farmers from the U. S. or their sons are yearly taking \
I advantage of this great opportunity. Wonderful yields j Mg
II /« also ® a,s ’ Barley arid Flax. Mixed Farming is / *>
y /j| fully as profitable an industry as grain raising. Good | jjr
7/>3 schools; markets convenient; climate excellent.
Write for literature and particulars as to reduced i r *
llOk** railway rates to Supt Immigration, Ottawa, tA \ £
fy// i Canada, or to W w-' •-' s
/ Geo* A. Kail, 123 Second St., Milwaukee, •
Wls.; C. A. Laurier, Marquette, Mich. H
Canadian Government Agents
e
Sarcastic.
“He’d be all right if he wasn’t «
infernally sarcastic,” said Holloway.
“Jimpson sarcastic? I never notice
It. How?” said Wiinpleton.
“Why, I borrowed .$lO from him }f*
terday,” said Holloway, “mid when 1
asked him where, I should send «
when returning if- he said, "1 he same
place you sent the fifty you borrowed
last year.”
“Well, what of it? I don’t see an?
sarcasm in that,” said Wimpleton.
“But, don’t you see,’ said Holloway,
“I never returned the fifty I borrow
a yeur ago!”
So Thoughtless!
“I’ve heard that she walks in w
sleep.” .
“Fancy ! And they with two automo
biles.”
Economy, the poor man’s m>ot-
Tupper
Sympathy is one thing diH men a
always careful not to waste.