challenge drew a volley the amer icans replied with rifle volleys and machine-gun fire driving off the patrol heavy shelling by the germans which followed this clash brought a scathing artillery return from the american batteries heavy shelling sunday the enemy dropped more shells in this sector sunday than had been fired in the previous two months harassing the american front lines has been costly to the enemy every night raid has been defeated an is-year-old private in an amer ican ration detail who was ordered to surrender at one point emptied his automatic killing the sergeant in command of the germans loses three fingers he returned to his trench with three fingers missing due to the explosion of a german grenade ho was lifted to the shouldersabsorbed chiefly by the allied strategic reserve â€” the great army of maneuver created by the inter-allied council at the sugges tion of the american chief of staff gen tasker h bliss strategic reserve to lead offensive the strategic reserve is counted on to lead the allied counter offensive the new american army physically perfect and eager to fight is ac cordingly expected to play a big role in these historic operations skeleton brigades and regiments of the regular army may be brought up to firing line strength by brit ish and irish reserves well-informed officials of the war department in timated to-day that such a plan is under contemplation acting secretary of war benedict crowell said all dispositions of troops will be made by generalissimo foch other