War in France.=--Owing to the peculiar character of the warfare in
France, it required a longer time for American military forces to get
into action; but there was no unnecessary delay. Soon after the
declaration of war, steps were taken to give military assistance to the
Allies. The regular army was enlarged and the troops of the national
guard were brought into national service. On June 13, General John J.
Pershing, chosen head of the American Expeditionary Forces, reached
Paris and began preparations for the arrival of our troops. In June, the
vanguard of the army reached France. A slow and steady stream followed.
As soon as the men enrolled under the draft were ready, it became a
flood. During the period of the war the army was enlarged from about
190,000 men to 3,665,000, of whom more than 2,000,000 were in France
when the armistice was signed.

Although American troops did not take part on a large scale until the
last phase of the war in 1918, several battalions of infantry were in
the trenches by October, 1917, and had their first severe encounter with
the Germans early in November. In January, 1918, they took over a part
of the front line as an American sector. In March, General Pershing
placed our forces at the disposal of General Foch, commander-in-chief of
the Allied armies. The first division, which entered the Montdidier
salient in April, soon was engaged with the enemy, "taking with splendid
dash the town of Cantigny and all other objectives, which were organized
and held steadfastly against vicious counter attacks and galling
artillery fire."

[Illustration: _Copyright by Underwood and Underwood, N.Y._

TROOPS RETURNING FROM FRANCE]

When the Germans launched their grand drives toward the Marne and Paris,
in June and July, 1918, every available man was placed at General Foch's
command. At Belleau Wood, at Chateau-Thierry, and other points along the
deep salient made by the Germans into the French lines, American
soldiers distinguished themselves by heroic action. They also played an
important role in the counter attack that "smashed" the salient and
drove the Germans back.

In September, American troops, with French aid, "wiped out" the German
salient at St. Mihiel. By this time General Pershing was ready for the
great American drive to the northeast in the Argonne forest, while he
also cooeperated with the British in the assault on the Hindenburg line.
In the Meuse-Argonne battle, our soldiers enco