New-York tribune., 1918-07-21
Eneny's Lines
Penetrated to
10-Mile Depth
Gen. March Reveals Amer.
leans Sent Abroad Now
Exceed 100000

WASHINGTON, July 2O.-The high
! water mark of the German offensive
movement in France has been reacned
ana the initiative now is passing tc
the Allied and American armies.
That is the lesson drawn from Cen.
erat Foch's sudden counter attack on
the Aisne-Marne front bv American
military leaders, General March. chief
OF staff, to-day told members of the
senate Military Committee. He said
General Mangin's drive had now pene.
trated ten miles into the German lines
Later he announced that American
troop shipments had now exceeded d
1,2ooOo0 men, insuring the man power
TO hold the initiative on the Western
front.
The direct objective Of General
Fcch's counter stroke, General March
told newspaper men in his weekly con-
ference, is the railway that feeds the
German forces in the Chateau Thierry
region. Already it has been attained,
Tor the French and American forces
are either astride the line at certain
points or have it under direct gunfire
at short range, making it useless for
the foe.
Six u. S. Divisions Engaged
Even as General March spoke un-
official reports flashed. over the cables
indicated that the German withdrawal
from the sector south of the Marne
had begun under the threat of the on
rush Of General Mangin's attacking
army in the enemy's rear. The with
drawal was foreseen by General March
when French and American shells be-
gan raining on the railway.
The American chief Of staff told with
evident satisfaction of the fact that six
American divisions are in the present
battle with the French and for the
first time revealed their identity. They
either are on the advancing lines be-
tween scissors and Chateau Thierry
or on those that are pressing the en-
envy along the Marne front, where
there is reason to believe the Germans
may suffer serious losses in men and
material before they reach safety.
Still another division Of Americans
is with General Gouraud, the French
leader, who commands east Of Rheims,
where the enemy assault hit against
stone-wall defence.
Two Negro Regiments in Battle
Two regiments of American negro
troops also are known to be engaged.
One is east Of Rheims, where the
whole front Of attack when the German
hn
at Chateau Thierry held firm on the
left flank. The other is with the at
tackine forces on the Soissons- CHATEAU
Thierry line.
General March made little effort to
conceal his elation over the turn of the
fighting His explanation OF the dispo-
stion Of the American forces indicates
that at least 10000 American fighting
troops are in the battle, and probably
the total force is nearer 30O. 600 than
100000. Each division has a fighting
strength OF 27.000 men, and each of the
two detached negro regiments d
strength of $500. The full strength of
each division, with auxiliary units, is
$4,000 men.
General March's Statement
General March said:
ONCE IGSt tdlhcu Win you the
field Of interest has shifted" from the
Italian and Balkan fronts to our own
sector in France. Last Monday, the
18th, the Germans began an attack
which covered sixty-mle front, one
half OF which covered the very hilly
ground between Chateau Thierry and
Rheims, the other half the plain of the
Champagne between Rheims and the
forest of Argonne.
"In the Champagne district the posi-
ton, which was held largely by French