The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-12
US. TROOPS ABROAD
NEARLY 100000
Gen. March Tells of New Ship
ments-Urges Loan Activity
to Clinch Victory.
PUSHING FOE INTO TRAP
Allies May Cut Off Fleeing
Boches Before They Can
Reach the Frontier.
Special Despatch to TIE SUI.


WASHINGTON, Oct. 11.-With the num-
Der Of American troops shipped overseas
now nearing the 100000 mark this Is
no time to hang back with the idea that
the war Is over" according to Gen. Pey-
ton C. March. Chief Of Stan.
THE War Department has now passed
the 100000 mark in shipments OF
troops to Europe Gen. March said'
"and is keeping on with it. We need
more than 100000 additional first
class fighting men and more than
IS. 900. 900, 900 to raise, equip and trans
port the Victory Army to France. The
thing to do is to hurl at the Hun our
maximum resources in men and money
and make victory certain"
During September the allied armies
captured ASA officers and 120,192 men
together with 1000 guns and more than
10000 machine guns. Gen. March re-
vealed. From July 10 to September 30
the allied armies have captured 5.51S Of
fcers and 24S,494 men; 1853 guns, be-
sides various smaller weapons. These
figures. Gen. March said. did not include
the captures Of the Turks BY Gen. AL
lenby.
Setting New Trap for Foe.
1t was disclosed in to-day's talk that
should the allied offensive reach Aulnoye
the Germans may DE unable even to get
their armies back to the frontier. This
point is the junction line Of main stem
railways and an advance of nine miles
more by the Allies will put 1t under fire.
Gen. March. in commenting on the sit
uation, said:
'"rhe new drive on the CambraiSt.
Quentin sector has made rapid progress.
On the first day the British and Ameri-
can forces advanced an average dis
lance of three miles and reached posi-
tons on the open ground well beyond the
Hindenburg line. On Wednesday the
drive continued and broadened until 1t
occupied a width OF thirty-flve miles
from the Escaut to the Oise and at its
deepest point. toward lie Cateau. gained
six miles. The French. extending their
sector northward, carried the south third
of the advance.
"On Thursday the British entered lie
Cateau, having carried the point of the
drive fourteen miles in three days
more than they gained in any three
consecutive days since they first started
their drive east OF Amiens in August
The enemy's resistance, temporarily at
least, was badly shaken and disorgan-
lied.
Nearing New strntegical Point.
AT lie Cateau the British are only
fourteen miles from Aulneye. This
town Is a very important strategtcal
point. 1t is the junction Of the main
railroad which have spoken about
before. running from Valenciennes
through to Metz. and the other great
northern artery called the Liege Maui
beuge railway. These two roads join at
this point. An advance OF about nine
miles in this direction will put that
junction under gunfire and it Is a point
OF vital Importance.
ION Tuesday and Wednesday the
French and American forces attacked
east of the Meuse and advanced one and
a half miles on n front of four miles,
clearing the right flank OF the main
American advance. Here as at lie
Cateau an advance OF ten miles would
sever the observation-disclosures Railroad.
The largest bombing expedition OF the
war. as reported in this morning $
papers. took place "Wednesday in this
sector, when thirty-two tons OF bombs
were dropped on the environments near
Danvillers.
I'm the north the British advance
from Valenciennes The communications
of Douai are threatened and the enemy
is beginning to withdraw. From Lens TO
the scarpe the British on Wednesday
advanced one and a half miles on a ten
mile front.
Between the Argonne and the Meuse
in the American sector there has been
stiff fighting for local pcsnts of advan-
tage and the pocket In the line on the
Argonne south OF the Grandpre gap has
been wiped out.
Foe Constantly Harassed.
The constant pressure at many points
on the line is keeping the enemy's re-
duced forces continually in action. pre-
venting adequate periods Of rest for ex-
hausted divisions.
1T can now be stated that the Ameri-
can divisions forming the first line in
the attack on the ST, Mihel salient were
as follows, in order from left to right.
Fourth. Twenty-sixth. First, Forty-sec-
ond, Eighty-ninth and Second.
In Palestine Beirut has been occu-
pied and the British are advancing north
OF Damascus.
I'm Albania the Italians following the
retreating Austrian forces have occu-
pied Elbasan. In Serbia the Serbs have
forced the pass north of Uskub and are
less than twenty miles from Nlsh"
OF the divisions which won the battle
OF st. Mihiel the First and Fourth are
regulars, the Second Division Is the
Marines under Bundy. the Twenty-sixth
is the New England National Guard
regiments, the Forty-second is the Rain
bow Division. which includes the old