ignal Corps had been
wounded by a bursting German shell, and a German gunner was reported
killed by an American sharpshooter, as opening incidents of the
skirmish.

And so at the beginning of November, 1917, with the whole United States
giving support to the Government in subscribing upwards of five billions
of dollars to the second Liberty Loan, and all forces working to
conserve food, furnish men, ships, ammunition, clothing and supplies to
her own troops and to her Allies, the world found America true to
traditions, battling for the right and giving her best that liberty
might endure and the burden of Prussianism be lifted from humanity.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

AMERICAN FORCES BECOME FACTOR.

UNITED STATES SOLDIERS INSPIRED ALLIED TROOPS--RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT
COLLAPSES--ITALIAN ARMY FAILS--ALLIED WAR COUNCIL FORMED--FOCH COMMANDS
ALLIED ARMIES--PERSHING OFFERS AMERICAN TROOPS--UNDER FIRE--U-BOAT BASES
RAIDED BY BRITISH.

The influence exerted by the actual presence of the American troops on
the western front was soon apparent. The spirits of the English, French
and Canadian troops were raised and the presence of the Americans was
heralded to the world as an evidence of complete unity on the part of
the Allies that meant ultimate death to Kaiserism.

The advent of Uncle Sam's fighting men on the firing line had, however,
one serious effect, viewed from the Allied standpoint. Germany realized
that every day she delayed in making attack meant the strengthening of
the Allied forces by the arrival of additional United States troops, and
it was seen by the English and French leaders that the Kaiser would make
an early drive to annihilate, if possible, the stubbornly resisting,
though somewhat tired and weakened, lines opposing his brutal soldiery.
Not for months, therefore, was it permitted the world to know anything
about the numerical strength of the American troops sent into France.

Simultaneously with the action of American troops in entering the
resisting line of Allied troops on the western front the Austro-German
troops had swept into the Italian plains, capturing 100,000 prisoners
and upward of 1,000 guns, taking several towns and compelling the
retreat of the Second and Third Italian armies. The Italian forces were
opposed by four times their number, but it was also said that the unity
of the Italian forces was broken by the spreading of German propaganda.

The failure of some of the troops was shown in