The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-03-27
MARCH DEFENDS
NEW METHODFOR
CASUALTY LISTS
Tells Senate Committee Why
1t Was So ImpOr-
tant to Make the
Change

washington, March 26.-An othciai
statement of the war department.
reasons for announcing only the names
Of American troops Killed or wounded
i'm France was submitted to the SEN
ate today by Major General Merch'
acting chief of staff, with a statement
that the department considers IL VI
hest advantage from all points oil view.
General March said the old system
of giving address and other detalis
gave information to the enemy anu
brought swarms of claim agents TO
h.rase the relatives of the men.
The policy of the war department
General March told the Senate, lis TO
MT in the hands of the nearest rela-
tive or the last friend given by inc
soldier in his emergency ADDRESS
nrompt and immediate Information
concerning the casualty before any
thing is given to the press ana ~
prevent any information appearing III
the napers which will be of any pos
eihle assistance to the German cause.
"The old SYSTEM" General March
added. (which gave the date OIL ehe
casualty, enabled the Germans 10 eet
exactly what effect was produced upon
orr troops in a raid on that date, ana
You would be interested to know tnal
the publication Of emergency addresses
brought down upon the relatives
swarm of claim agents, who guaran-
iced they would get from the govern
ment the war risk insurance, which Is
To- 60 ba in
heritor.
.In spite of the fact that the depart
p,ent has in each case advised the
nearest relatives that their claims VIII
be adjusted by the government, and
that they will be furnished the money
that is due them without the interpo-
sition of claim agents, numbers OF
,,oor people have yielded to the .impor-
tunities of these agents and are there
by deprived of portion of what Is
justly their due.
1.-THE raids which are being conducted
along our front are for the purpose OF
capturing one soldier If possible with
the object of obtaining from him in1or-
nation about the organization which Is
opposed to the German lines at this
nOtnt. with the puDllCdliOA VI lHC az
dress of the nearest relative, the Ger
man agent in the United States APP
proaches the relatives and obtains from
them the information which Germany is
attempting to obtain from our front os
attacks on our forces. In France they
publish no casualty lists at all, and the
information reaches the relatives from
the mayor or from the project of the
town, where the relatives live, who l.
required to communicate the facts L.
them verbally.
1.-The department is in receipts of let
tiers from men of high standing in the
country who have sons abroad. protest
ing vigorously against any change in the
new system and demanding that no in
formation shall be given to the press
which could in any possible way be OF
assistance to the Germans confronting
their sons in France. 1t has developed
also, according to an official communica
ton from the Red Cross, that the rela
tive of men who are killed in France are
made victims of the most absurd propo
sitions to exhibit themselves for money
ETC., making their grief the object of ex
ploitation by cheap notoriety seekers
1.-THE whole matter of a change in ou
former method in publishing casualty
lists was brought up by cablegram from
General Pershing, in which he state!
that representatives of the French gov
eminent had formally protested agalns
the methods that were then used. TIL
specific case to which they referred wa
q statement given out in the United
States officially, which permitted tn
Germans to know definitely the effect o
gas shells on certain date. The who'll
subject was then thoroughly studied ant
the decision reached to adopt the polio.
which is the subject of your communica
finn