THE FIRST BATTLE.

Little by little the accounts of the first German attack upon the American troops are coming in. The Teutons isolated a salient by a heavy barrage thus cutting off the men stationed there. An attack was launched in which apparently one company of shock troops took part. With the odds of ten to one the result could not be in doubt for long. The skirmish was short and furious; how many Germans were killed and wounded is difficult to ascertain as the attacking party carried back all its casualties.

As a cause for worry from a military point of view this battle is of no importance. Lieutenant Morize told us last summer that such a raid is perfectly simple to carry out successfully if one is willing to use up sufficient ammunition. So we need not feel that we have suffered a defeat. Our troops are but human after all and ten Germans are and should be able to overpower one American. We must get the Prussian idea out of our heads, namely, that we are a race of supermen.

On the other hand we may feel proud of the behavior of the troops in this first action. The official "communique" says that the men were worthy of American military traditions. We may let the Germans gloat and fly their banners on Unter den Linden; they will hear more from the "North Americans."