The sun., 1918-03-25
GERMAN REPORT
OF U. s. DEFEAT
NOT CONFIRMED
Gen. March Says Pershing's
Dispatches Are Merely
Weekly Summary.
WAVES 1NQUIRERS ASIDE
Acting Secretary CrOweH AS
serts lie Has No Tidings Of
American Reverse.
Special DespotcI 10 THE SIN

Sptc,d Desp0fch TO THE Stu.
WASHINGTON. March 24.-In the face
Of the oficial German announcement
that American troops. brought UP with
French and Canadians 70 reinforce the
British right wing. had been beaten and
driven back at Chauny. the War Depart
ment adopted tonight an air OF mys-
tertous silence. The German announce
ment, which was the FIRST indication
that Americans had become involved in
tho drive, stirred Washington. to Its
depths Confirmation Of the report was
impossible to get owing to the abso-
lutte silence Of Gen. Peyton c. March,
the Chief OF Staff.
Gen. March. apparently labortng
under great stress, arrived at his Office
early in the evening and locked himself
in. It had been understood that he
was to see the newspaper men and give
dispatches at s 80 o'clock. a large
crowd bes!eged the doors Of his once.
but admittance was refused. Not 4
word came from Gen. March until 10 40
o'clock. when he opened the door and
waved away the newspaper reportars
and strode rapidly down the he'll.
To newspaper reporters who met hin,
at the door he said: Not a word. The
report from Gen. Pe.sh!ng WAS merely
weekly summary
Conaict Of Statements.
This statement conflicted absolutely
with that given out earlier from act
Ing Secretary Crowells office. which
made II clear that the despatch from
Gen. Pershins had contained informa-
ton OF such Importance that Il WAS a,
once transmitted to the White House.
| h:ter examining Nhe report the state
| nent was made that II took an opt-
nistic view of he present situation.
Acting Secretary Of War Crowell n.
10 o'clock tonight said that he had
, received no official word 20 confirm the
| statement OF the German War Office that
| American troops had been brought vi
from the southwest to support the Brlt.
ish and had been defeated.
Mr. Crowell received his first word
| Of this report from THE Sun at his home
Had such thing happened / believe
! I would have heard OF it," he said. Con
sequently ] am not inclined TO give i
credence"
I. Is understood that in addhion &c
dispatches from Gen. Pershing des-
patch from Gen. Bliss also arrived dur
ing the day. Gen. Pershing had bee.
TeQueStcu early tIllb morning US peh
March to send a daily report and wa
ssked also for information regarding
the report Of the bombardment OF Paris
! Whether or not to-day's despaches were
! ir answer to these messages could NO
| he learned because OF the silence main
tained by Gen. March.
Absence OF Daily News.
! The absence of anything like dail,
communication from the American head
| quarters has become a matter OF COM
ment here now that American troop.
have been engaged and are being men
toned invidiously in the German ofticia
| reports.
Chauny. where the Americans are re
ported to have participated. is eigh
miles from La Fere and six miles ives
of the original battle line. 1t is III
miles from the American sector north o
Toui.
While there has been no official men
ton of American troops near La Fere. i
! was learned tonight that at yesterday
! war council the presence OF an American
unit within twenty miles Of La Fer
WAS admitted.
! II is presumed that the Americana
formed part of the reserve troops callet
| upon to fight rear guard actions witt
| the enemy long enough 10 ueiay III
progress for the accomplishment Of SOM
purpose on the Allies side. The Amer
leans may therefore have carried GU
their object against the advancing Ger
mans and valiantly sacrificed lives Il
stay the advance. But the only mention
! the American people get OF their wori
| ia the German statement that the Amer
leans were beaten and driven back,
Air of Conscience.
There was still an air Of confidence a
the War Department. to-day based large
ly upon the reports of the good orde
displayed by the British in their retire
ment. This was reflected both at tn
British and French embassies. where i
was repeated that there was nothinl
apparently alarming in the situation
| Al the French Embassy confidence wa
largely based on an official despatch re
ceived from Paris early In the morning
The despatch follows:
"The German offensive continues be
tween Croiselles and Tergnier with yer,
| Continued on Second Page.