The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-08-22
Regimental Records Some
times Lost When Troops
Are at the Front
ACCURACY FIRST
is AIM IN REPORTS
Delays Due to Endeavor to Spare
Anxiety to Friends and Relatives
Men often Find Their Way to Dass-
ing Stations.

PARIS, Aug. 22.-The recent Marine
fighting has Illustrated sharply the diff
eulties in promp reporting of casual
ties. The army authorities keenly real
lied the anxiety prevailing at home
during and since this extended action
largely participated in by the Ameri-
can forces, and the whole machinery
of casualty reports has been worked TO
the limit with the basic rule of accu-
racy before speed.
The system of keeping track of every
member of the American expeditionary
forces is simply organized, but it. is
gigantic. 1t radiates from the central
records Office, where the complete his
tory of every officer, man and civilian
worker is kept.
Facts concerning every casualty are
rushed by courier to this office, where
n check is made against each name and
record to prevent confusion and for
Identification. Then a message is pre-
pared and checked baek, then cabled
to Washington. where the next of kin
is notified AID the list published.
The work is done as expeditiously as
possible. and were it not for battle con
ditions beyond human remedy the
/ American people might read each day 5
roll of honor the next day. In trench
| fighting and in small operations it il
Possible to make almost immediate cas-
ualty reports. but in warfare of move
ment involving large numbers and ex-
TENDED territory, such as the Marine
battle, the task becomes enormously
difficult and slow despite the best eff
forts of the authorities.
The regulations require that every re-
| port of killed, wounded or missing mus.
be established beyond a doubt. Units
moving forward for hours under heavy
| fire, losing men ON the way canno.
pause to check casualties. These mus
come later from dressing stations, hos
/ pitfalls or burying parties operating in
the wake of advancing lines.
Frequently company, battalion OF
even rcgimental records and reports arr
| destroyed or lost in action At Seich-
prey D certain American unit was iso
lated for nearly two days by a heavy
| German barrage Several members OF
the unit sacrificed their lives in an Of.
fort to penetrate the wall of fire. Fl
nally German raiding party captured
and made off with the organization ;,
records. On another occasion a statisti
cal unit was bombed out of its posi-.
ton and its carefully prepared casual
| ~ reports were scattered over the land
seape.
Again replacement troops may be
thrown into action with some oreaniza
ton being reformed for attack, the unit
/ commander having no knowledge OF
who they are Thus, if the records ar,
lost or destroyed by shell fire or bomb
/ ing, it becomes almost impossible &c
\ make accurate casualty reports fol
days, perhaps weeks.
American wounded often find theil
4sEax--iatn. French or British dressing
stations and are sent on to French oil
British hospitals. They are carried on
their own rolls as missing until Fl.
nally TREY find their way back to theii
own units or are officially reported al
home as missing.
With the assistance of experts. The
authorities constantly are entleavorinl
to speed mp casualty reports. But they
arc unwilling to sacrifice accuracy. $,
that as far as possible needless pain
and anxiety to the families and friend.
of the men may be avoided.