Don Martin
diary entry for Wednesday, August 7, 1918:
Stayed in today and wrote one long mail story – about 4,000 words which
I headed “In the Ugly Wake of Victory.” In it I described many of the horrors I
have seen in the last two weeks and gave a picture of the scores and scores of
wrecked villages through which I have passed. Also wrote long letter to Ohl,
managing editor of the Herald and letters to John McDonald and John F. O’Brien,
both of whom have written to compliment me on my cables.
The New York Herald on Wednesday, August 7, published a remarkable tribute to Don Martin by Joseph Scott of the Knights of Columbus. (It appeared in a number of other syndicated newspapers.) We know what Don Martin had been doing from his diary entries,and can see there was some exaggeration in Mr. Scott's report.
DON MARTIN’S BRAVERY UNDER FIRE
TOLD BY AMERICAN
DIRECT FROM BATTLEFIELDS
A tribute brought to New York straight from the battlefields of France was paid to Don Martin, war correspondent of the Herald with the American forces, by Joseph Scott, overseas commissioner of the Knights of Columbus, last night.
Mr. Scott said he had seen Mr. Martin sit down at a typewriter in a quiet little French village not more than three weeks ago, his boots mud caked and tears in his eyes from the memory of what he had seen through the day on his trip to the trenches, and write his articles that appeared in the Herald the following morning.
“No more valorous man fights on the battlefields to-day than this man,” he said. “I could tell you enough to fill a book about the hardships he endures to furnish the news to the Herald’s readers.
“When the Americans go over the top, over goes Don Martin with them. When they are under barrage fire he does not hesitate, but goes forward grinning like the rest of the American soldiers. When you read of the destruction wrought by the Huns in the villages of France, take it from one who knows you read what the writer has seen. The men of the army in France respect and admire Mr. Martin for his gallantry and his eagerness to get out the news and forward it accurately to his newspaper.
“There is not a day passes now but he takes his life in his hands a dozen times or more, never thinking of what may result, but taking every chance in order that he may get at the heart of the fighting and cable his reports of the battles as he sees them. Sometimes, as I have watched him buckle on his ‘grub bag’ and walk out beside the swinging columns of American soldiers on their way to the place where the bullets are the thickest, I have felt a very deep desire to come back to America and go from one end of the country to the other telling of the bravery shown by men such as he about whom nothing is said but about whom volumes could be written.
“The day of the ‘safety first’ idea for war correspondents is past. To be a genuinely good one in the Great War raging over there it is necessary for the writer to see and not to hear.”
Mr. Scott before becoming overseas commissioner for the Knights of Columbus was president of the Board of Education and president of the Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles, Cal. He is an attorney, and will soon go back to Los Angeles and resume his work which he had abandoned for the present to do his part for the Knights of Columbus at the front.
A short report by Don Martin, dated Wednesday, August 7, on the crossing of the Vesle was published in the Paris Herald on Wednesday, August 8.
FRANCO-AMERICANS CROSS THE VESLE IN FACE OF RESISTANCE
Germans Withdraw to Heights to North—May Retire to Positions on Aisne
(Special Telegram to the Herald)
By Don Martin
With The American Armies, Wednesday.
Americans to-day crossed the Vesle
in the face of a smart resistance from the Germans. They held the ground taken.
Germans were met with a furious machine-gun fire from the Americans and their
losses were very heavy. Among the prisoners was a German lieutenant.
The Americans made the crossing
after a severe artillery preparation which smothered the Germans. Meantime
American engineers completed the task of building footbridges.
At one other point the Americans
crossed also.
The French to the west effected a
crossing and retained a good foothold. The Germans withdrew from the region
skirting the river’s edge and during the day moved to the heights to the north.
Prisoners say that the orders issued to the Germans were to hold their ground
for limited periods and then to move rapidly back to the heights. One unit was
told to hold Fismes at all costs.
Whether the German will entrench
themselves for a vigorous defence on the heights or will put up a sort of sham
resistance in order to enable them to set
up a strong position farther north is a mere matter of speculation. The
impression seems to be that they will gradually withdraw to the Aisne.
Ninety refugees in the village of
Villesavoye were rescued to-day by the French. They had been put in a cave by
the Germans on August 2 and told to remain quiet. They were also told that they
must beware of the Americans, as the latter would kill the men and attack the
women. The refugees produced a letter which had been left with them. It was a
clumsy attempt on the part of the Germans to frighten the French and cause fear
in the hearts of French soldiers. It was written in very poor French. It read
substantially as follows:--
“Have a thought. It appears that
the cellar south of Villesavoye has been spared because of the civilians. After
some time it will be bombarded. We have received such an announcement by
airplane. Many thanks. We are not Russians however. You will see miracles in
this section. It’s a trick because we withdrew to the Vesle. Do not count on
the Americans. Germany has too many soldiers. You will never win the war by
force of arms. On the other hand Germans are ready to make peace with France at
any time. France is the enemy which merits most. Many greetings, but look out
for Hindenburg.”
This remarkable but silly letter
was addressed by “General Headquarters to General Foch.”
Don Martin also reported on the finding of Quentin Roosevelt's grave. Dated Wednesday, August 7, it was published in the Paris Herald on Wednesday, August 8
Burial-place of Quentin Roosevelt
Found at Chamery
(Special Telegram to the Herald)
By Don Martin
With The American Armies, Wednesday.
Lieutenant Quentin Roosevelt’s
burial place has been discovered. It is at Chamery, almost due east from
Fere-en-Tardenois. An American aviator found it to-day. He says it is an
ordinary grave, with a wooden cross at the head, on which is inscribed in
English: “Lieutenant Quentin Roosevelt, buried by the Germans, July 14, 1918.”
Lieutenant
Roosevelt went over the German lines with a squadron of American fliers and
became separated from his companions. A machine was seen to drop to the ground
in flames, and it was accepted as settled that he had met his death. He was a daring flier and was very
popular with his companions.
The Paris
Herald on August 7 also reported the promotion of General Foch, with a nice summary of the recent successes.
TITLE OF MARSHAL OF FRANCE
CONFERRED ON GENERAL FOCH;
MILITARY MEDAL FOR PETAIN
After Victory of the
Marne France Honors Great Leader
of Victorious Allied
Armies and His Brilliant Assistant
Marshal
Foch’s
Great
Victory
Here are the
main results of
General
Foch’s magnificent
counter-blow:--
The enemy’s
most powerful offensive shattered;
Paris saved;
Château-Thierry
and Soissons recaptured;
Hundreds of
square miles of French territory reconquered and scores of towns and villages
delivered;
Thirty-five
thousand prisoners taken;
More than 700
guns captured.
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