New-York tribune., 1918-10-27
Coal Fields in Northern
France Are Almost
Clear of Enemy
American Generals
Are Ordered Home
Corps and Division Com
manders Assigned to Can
tonments to Teach Recruits

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26.-Summariz-
ing the situation on the Western battle
front to-day, General March said the
Germans have evacuated or been
driven out OF 1000 square miles of Bel
gian and French territory since July
ls, that 400 square miles have been
freed during the past week and that
all the coal fields in Northern France
have been reconquered except for
five-mile tract where the Allied ad-
vance now IS being pressed rear the
Belgian border.
General March announced that five
American corps and division command
srs who have been actively engaged in
France are returning home on the rec
ommendation of General Pershing to
take Important assignments here. They
are Major Generals Omar Bundy, who
organized and commanded the Fifth
Army Corps and who will go to
command Camp Pike, Arkansas; CJar-
ence r. Edwards, who took to France
the Twenty-sixth New England Ma
tional Guard Division and who will be
assigned to command Camp Lee Vir-
ginia; John E. Mcmahon, who com
manded the Fifth (Regular) Division
and who will be assigned to Camp
Zachary Taylor, kentucky George H.
Cameron, who commanded first the
Fourth (Regular) Division and later
the Second Army Corps, new assign
snent not announced, and Beaumont B.
Buck, recently awarded the Dstin-
guished Service Cross for gallantry in
action. at which time he was wounded
new assignment not announced
Major General George 3. Duncan.
who commanded the Seventy-seventb
New York National Guard) Division,
will not be returned to the United
States as previously announced. Gen
eral March said General Duncan has
recovered mis- health and will be re-
turned to active duty.
In making the announcements Gen
eral March laid great stress upon the
fact that all of the officers ordered
home had done splendid work at the
front and proved their ability on every
occasion. He indicated that they were
all men of more advanced years, upon
whom the strain of active campaigning
bore heavily.
Reverting to the military situation,
General March pointed out that the
Franco o-American lines from the
Meuse to the Disc stood virtually
parallel to the great railway line near
the Belgian frontier and constituted a
threat against that railway throughout
its entire length.
Amorg American divisions on the
line General March identified the Sew
enty ninth Pennsylvania, Maryland
and District Of Columbial. Eichtieth
Virginia. West Virginia and Pennsyl-
vania>, Thirty third (Illinois), Eighty
second Georgia, Alabama and Tennes-
see) as being east of the Meuse West
af the Meuse are the Seventy-sixth
New England and New York;, Sew
euty ighth New York New Jersey
and Dela@sre), Seventy-seventh New
York City and vicinity, Thirty-sec-
and (Mich gan and Wisconsin,, Fifty
eighth and the Fifty Eighth Regiment
~ regular infantry.
identifying units operating with the
British east of Cambrai, General March
named the 106th Infantry and the
104th, 105th and 106th machine gun
battalions.
The Fortieth California, Utah, New
Mexico, Arizona and Colorado) and
Eighty-third (Ohio and West Penn
sylvania) divisions. General March
said are depot divisions and have not
been in action, while the Eighty fourth
Kentucky Indiana and Southern IL
llnois> Division is now arriving in
France.