American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-08-16
NEW ALLIED DRIVE IS
EXPECTED VERY SOON
Army Officers at Washington Expect
Foch to Attack Huns at Other Points
I,25O,OOO American Troops in Per
shing's First Army.

shlhg first Army.
A new drive against the German po-
stions either in Flanders or between
the Disc and scissors is expected by
many army officers as a result
Of the slowing up of the advance in
the Picardy theater.
Outlining the situation at his mid
week conference, General March, chief
OF staff, confined his statements to
pointing out that the Germans have
now been forced back until they are
not within fifty miles of Paris at any
point.
The head of the army has previously
laid stress on the fact however. that
the greatest advantages won by Mar
shal Foch in a military way is in hay
ing wrested the initiative from the
enemy.
The opinion prevailed among other
officers that the present struggle
around Roye and Lassigny would soon
terminate in the capture of those
points, to be followed by the taking OF
Noyon.
In the course of his discussion, Cen
eral March said that General Per-
shing now has 1,25O,OO0 American
troops organized into the first army
corps. Presumably the Americans ON
the British left flank in Picardy, iden-
titled by the chief of staff as the 31st
infantry of the Thirty-third illinois
National Guard) DIVISION are among
those still brigaded for training.
II appeared possible to some Off
GERS that the organization of the first
American army might be followed by
an all-American attack at some point
on the line which it holds beyond YER
dun, where there has been no recent
fighting.
The primary purpose of the two.
blows Marshal Foch has srtuck has
been realized. Both in the Aisne-
Marne battle and again in Picardy
the attacks were defensive measures.
to free Paris from the menace of the.
two wedges the enemy had driven in
that direction. The value of the,
drives in this respect was pointed out
by General March.
Officers at Washington, therefore,
anticipate a complete change in the
character of the fighting in the next
phase of the battle. with FOch's arm
les assuming the offensive in the full
est sense of the word and striking to
force the enemy back in such manner
that he can not avail himself of his
old Hindenburg line defenses.
It appears very probable to some OBJ
servers that the Flanders front might
see the next blaze kindled with a
double drive by British forces to pinch
out the salient there, as it has been
pinched out at the Marne and again in
Picardy.
Discussing the work of the Twenty
eighth division comprising Pennsyl-
vania guardsmen, in the Aisne-Marne
salient, General March said: THE
only report upon its casualties receiv-
ed was that 400 men had been hit dur
ing four hours on July 80 in the ad-
$ vance to the Vesle.
e The Twentyeight division, General
e March said, participated in the ad-
vance across the Ourcq, July 20, when
It the attack against the German lines
thrust the enemy back to the vesle
The Twenty-eighth was thanked on
one side by the Forty-second (Rain-
bowl and on the other by the Third
regular division. It's position in the
8. line was between Sergy and Ronch-
!. eres.
It is assumed that General Pershing
a. las taken over his own staff as the
staff of the first field army. In that
n case Major-General James ". Nc.
S Andrew is the chief of staff. both OIL
d the army and of the American ex
r peditionary forces.
The chief of staff took occasion t
= frown upon the name Sammy foi
+ American troops. No American sol
+ der in France approves the use of tha
+ name, he said, nor do either the Frencl
: or British understand why big, strons
+ men like the Americans should b,
+ tagged with such a nickname. Tn,
, British soldiers call their American
+ comrades "Yanks."
+ General March said no American
+ troops had been landed in Siberia a
+ yet He did not have available fig
+ ures on the total embarkation 70
: France which he will make public OF
: Saturday.