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September 21, 1918: Don Martin has quiet day in Nancy

Don Martin diary entry for Saturday, September 21, 1918: 
Stayed in again. Spent most of the day in the Censor’s office. Was introduced to the French widow in black who is on her way to visit her husband’s grave in Luneville. She is a very charming woman.
       On this quiet day, Don Martin just sent his daily report for Paris with a couple news bits. It was published in the Paris Herald on Sunday, Sept 22. 
BIG-SCALE EFFORT 
TO PIERCE AMEX LINES IS FOILED
Fires Behind German Lines May Presage 
Fresh Retreat Under American Pressure
(Special Telegram to the Herald)
By Don Martin
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMIES, Saturday.
              Following a raking barrage, the Germans made two attempts last night to pierce the American lines, but they were repulsed on each occasion by artillery fire. They evidently made rather elaborate plans for the raid, for they laid down a barrage on a front of a kilomètre and a half. There was heavy artillery fire along most of the front all night, and this morning the enemy is shelling our back areas, and being shelled in turn.
              The Germans have prepared strong machine-gun defences on both sides of Haumont. During the night eight fires were seen in Dommartin. The Germans are apparently destroying barracks and hospitals, which they always destroy when they are evacuating or preparing to evacuate a region.
1920 Class a Failure?
              It is evident that the Germans have not obtained good results with the men of the 1920 class which have been used in the front line during the last few weeks. A captured document, unsigned, but presumably issued by someone in high authority, says: “Men of the 1920 class are not to be used at the front without my consent, unless they are war volunteers or aspirant officers. This consent, for the present, cannot be accorded.”

              Among the prisoners captured during the Saint-Mihiel operations are six members of the 75th Austro-Hungarian division. They say that Hungary is being used to pull the German chestnuts out of the fire, and people are beginning to realize this. They say that the people all over Hungary want peace at any price. Recently, two regiments mutinied in Budapest, and Germans and Austrians were called to establish order. One officer among the prisoners says that they fight only because they know if they did not they would be executed.

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