with gas that it was impossible for victorious troops to enter.
One of the fiercest bombardments was that directed against the
Portuguese during the fighting along the Lys. The enemy made a special
attempt to crush the Portuguese contingent which behaved with the utmost
gallantry.

It was the season of the year when the orchards were covered with
blossoms and the fields with flowers, but the horrors of war destroyed
the beauty of the spring. In these battles men fought until they were
completely exhausted and one could see troops staggering as they walked
and leaning on each other from pure exhaustion.

These were days when wonders were performed by the Medical Departments
of the Allied armies, and the work of the Red Cross was almost as
important as the work of the soldiers. Relief for the wounded had to be
undertaken and carried on a mammoth scale. Many of the doctors, nurses,
orderlies and ambulance men lost their lives while making efforts to
rescue the wounded.

These were days when the German leaders were filled with the pride of
victory. They were talking now about a hard German peace. On June 17th
the German Kaiser celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of his accession
to the throne. He talked no more of a war of self-defense, but declared
the war to be the struggle of two world views wrestling with each other.
"Either German principles of right, freedom, honor and morality must be
upheld, or Anglo-Saxon principles with their idolatry of Mammon must be
victorious." He sent congratulations to Field Marshal von Hindenburg, to
General Ludendorf and to the Crown Prince. Von Hindenburg assured the
Kaiser of the unswerving loyalty until death of Germany's sons at the
front, and concluded "May our old motto 'Forward with God for King and
Fatherland, for Kaiser and Empire' result in many years of peace being
granted to your Majesty after our victorious return home."

But the terrific attacks which the German commanders directed upon the
Americans at Chateau-Thierry and at other points upon the southern lines
show well that they knew that there was another danger rising to
confront them; that during their great drives a million and a half
American soldiers had been learning the art of war, and that every
moment of delay meant a new danger. By the end of this period the
Americans had arrived.

CHAPTER XLII

CHATEAU-THIERRY, FIELD OF GLORY

Nowhere in American history may be found a more glorious record than
th