GERMAN TROOPS DECEIVED

From Our Own Correspondent. New York, Wednesday American correspondents at the front send welcome news describing how the American troops in the epic battle for Sergy whipped the Kaiser’s shock troops in hand-to-hand fighting, and how – I quote from a cable to the New York Times – “at least one German Guard division was rendered fightless for some time to come.” The experience of other Allied troops as to the dirty methods of fighting employed by the enemy is amply corroborated by the American correspondents; but, says the New York Times, “the American boys are rapidly learning to detect these methods,” with the result that enemy contingents advancing with the white flag in one hand and grenades in the other stand just about as much chance as Allied troops in similar circumstances would stand at the hands of the Germans. German machine gunners who cut loose at a few yards’ distance with a final spurt of bullets and then outstepand cry “Kamerad” do not necessarily escape, because, to quote the same correspondent, our men have adopted the rule that any German who fires a machine gun at a closer range than 200 yards cannot be allowed to surrender.” Prisoners captured by the Americans declared that the morale of the Kaiser’s troops is now deteriorating, having been sustained by what the men now recognise as exaggerations and lies. One fable widely circulated amongst the Crown Prince’s army was that the Channel ports had been captured, and that the British were demanding peace.