When I visited the headquarters of this French army today [June 14]
a sheet of paper was handed to me on which was written a report of
information gained from the examination of a large number of prisoners
from the 28th German Division. The report said:
American assistance, which was underestimated in Germany because
they doubted its value and its opportunity worries the German High
Command more than it will admit. The officers themselves recognize
that, among other causes, it is the principal reason for which
Germany hastens to try to end the war and impose peace. They
believe that if we succeed in holding on for the rest of this
year the German cause will be lost. But they say that until the
end of the year they will allow us no respite in their effort to
break our morale and our will to conquer. They hope that fear of
devastations and the terror caused in Paris, as well as continuing
attacks of the German Army, determined to end the war, will get
the best of our resistance before American aid will become truly
effective.
All agree that the war is reaching the supreme crisis at this
moment. They all declare that the offensives will be renewed and
prolonged in view of this decision until the German forces are
exhausted.
In addition, the prisoners did not conceal their great surprise at
the training and quickness that the Americans have shown against
them, nor at the good work accomplished by the artillery, which
for three days engaged them, cutting off all food supplies and all
reinforcements and causing them very heavy losses--practically all
of the officers and twenty-five of the men were killed or wounded
in a single infantry company and twelve in a machine-gun section,
of which the full quota was seventeen men.
Especially important is this report coming from the French Army, not
because the Americans would emphasize such statements by prisoners,
but because of the probability that the Germans might be rather
praiseworthy of Americans when questioned by our officers with a view
to getting better treatment as prisoners of war. There is no question
that this document speaks the truth.
A letter written by a German officer and found on his body said:
"The Americans are so courageous that they do not allow themselves to
be made prisoners." Another letter written by a German private called
the Americans "devilhounds."