He
had been commissioned a first lieutenant in the infantry. Clayton
had been seeing war at first hand then, and for a few moments he
was fairly terrified. On that first of August the Germans had
used liquid fire for the first time, thus adding a new horror. Men
in the trenches swept by it had been practically annihilated.
Attacks against it were practically suicide. Already the year had
seen the last of Kitchener's army practically destroyed, and the
British combing the country for new divisions.
In the deadly give and take of that summer, where gains and losses
were measured by yards, the advantage was steadily on the German
side, and it would be a year before the small force of American
regulars could be augmented to any degree by the great new army.
It was the darkest hour.
Following on the heels of Graham's cable came a hysterical one from
Natalie.
"Graham probably ordered abroad. Implore you use influence with
Washington."
He resorted to his old remedy when he was in trouble.
Pages:
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583