WHO WON THE WAR?

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 274, 15 August 1919, Page 8

WHO WON THE WAR?

AN AMERICAN PROTEST THAT EFFORTS HAVE BEEN BELITTLED I have iin idea, that among the unbeatable forces from Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, there is a disposition'to concede, us our honest . share in the triumph. Hut H3 regards the bulk of the civilian population in France and Great Britain the propaganda, has worked. They sincerelv believe that.we proved a small factor in (.he final effort.'-Gwrge Patullo in the "Saturday Evening Post." "Who Won the War?" That is the ciuostion a.«ked by George Patullo in 'the ,! Saturdav Evening i'ost," and in a long: article he proceeds to sliow that almost every one of the Allies' claims that its effort was the deciding ' factor. Mr. Patullo has no serious complaint to make about this. "The beauty of theso divergent claims," he says, "is that they aro so human ?,ml natural.- ami are all correct as far as they go." But he complains somewhat bitterly that since that time last vear, when "the Gorman hordes were crashing through the lmo for sickening gains." when French and British statesmen and Press were declaring that, the dav would yet be saved it they could hold out until the Americans arrived in force, when Lloyd George pronounced it a race between Time and America, when American troops were wildly cheered wherever tliey appeared in ifrance or Britain, there has been a great chango in the attitude of the Allied publicists. He asserts that, emanating from the "upper stratum in. both England and France, since the armistice, there has been steady, persistent propaganda, to belittle the American 'military effort,, in order to weaken the prestige which America has won in Europe and throughout the world. This propaganda, the writer asserts, has been fairly successful- in Franco and Great Britain;! it has made headway in Canada and Australia, though not to the same extent; but, as quoted above no believes the Dominion troops are willing to concede a*i honest share in the triumph to the Americans.

The Sunken Canal. There is one point in the article in which Australia has a peculiar interest. The writer quotes from the "Daily Mail" review of the war, in which the Americans a,re hardly mentioned in the lighting, this sentence: "Australians, whose part in the war was second to none, forced tlie main Hindenburg positions near Le Catelet." Mr. Patullo proceeds: "That was one of the out-1 standing feats of the operations of 1918. But why forget? the American share in it? We tad two divisions fighting with the Australians-tho Twenty-seventh and Thirtieth; and they assuredly held up their end, according to tho reports received from tho Australians tliem6elves." This was tho famous battle for the sunken canal, between Lo Catelet and Bellieourt, which commenced pn September 29 and lasted for several days. ■ It was a terrible affair, in which many an Australian life was lost. But the American losses were appalling, largely owing to tho eagerness, bravery, and inexperienco of the fresh young "Sammies," who went far beyond their objective, and in their eagerness to get at the Boche neglected to "mop-up," to the undoing of the "Digger?" who followed. Full Story Untold. War-wutrespondent Bean, talking of the Le Catelct-Bellicourt fight to Sydney pressmen recently, said that the wholo truth about the affair had not yet been revealed. However, tho Australian version had been handed to tho Americans, and in duo course they were expected to reciprocate. "Never did I see so many dead men on a battlefield ae I saw dead Americans on the morning of September 29." said Mr. "Bean. He weut on lo tell how Lieutenant Wilkins* the Australian official photographer, came upon a trench wherein was a bunch of Americans. Tho Yanks' were calmly pulling their Lewis gun lo pieces to clean it, blissfully ignorant of the fact that a party of Huns were bombing their way up the same trench. They w-ero so inexperienced that.they mistook the explosions for bursting shells, and being satisfied that no German would venture in the neighbourhood of these shells had seized the opportunity to overhaul their gun. Wilkins had conscientious objections, on account of his non-combatant job, to doing any shooting himself, but he stretched his conscience far enough to organise llio Americans, and tu superintend tho erection of a sandbag barricade. Tho Yanks then got their gun into action, and held up the Boches until a party of "Diggers" came to ; the rescue. Grim tragedy resulted from the overshooting of their objective by the Americans. The Australians were lo have followed them up, and "leap-frogging" through carried the attack forward. But the Germans swarmed up behind tho Americans from the sunken canal, mowed down the unsuspecting Australians ■with machine-guns, and completely cut off the "Sammies. Mr. Bean's. Tribute, Writing from the battlefield, Mr. 0. E. \V, .bean, tho Australian ouicial correspondent, said:—

"Soino day, when the full story of the American attack ou Sunday can be told, the American people will have every reason to thrill with prido for thost> magnificent troops upon whom the tremendous task'oi Suimay fell. All day long some of us moved amidst thoso troops on Sunday's battlefield, mid wo can only say that we have never in this teen keener, braver soldiers, or more intelligent and high-minded men. . . , The Australians during tho whole of Monday were attacking without artillery lire up the trenches, tearing that pockets pi wounded or living Americans wero still there. . . . ail question their (the Americans') attack enabled tne great defence to bo broken in a position which is ot tho utmost import, auco to the Allied cause," Mr, Keith Murdoch, special representative of "The Sun," wrote:— "The Americans made the ntaiu attack between Le Catelet and Bcllicourr, tho two villages at either cud oi tho deep ; tunnel through which tlie St. Quemiii canal runs under the ridge. . . .' Our Auo tralians said later that nothing could exceed their admiration for these American youth, who aro obsessed with a fine, earnest, enthusiasm lor doing their job thoroughly and getting the war finished. | ... It was one of tho hardest jobs ever given lo inexperienced troops. . . . The Australian losses wers lignt, but i tho Americans, with prodigal bravery j ami geiiftiOuiiy, great dash and ehtluisi-: asm, shed their blood freely in their | fino effort. . . . Tlie breach in the Jlin- j deuburg line is adequate and aU-impor- i ant." . ~ . , I The receipt of the American official ! version of trie Lc Caiclet-liellcourt light- j ing will bo awaited with interest by all | desirous of getting at tho true facts! oi the war. |