Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-04-23
MYSTERY ENVELOPS
SCANT REPORTS Of
SATURDAYS BATTLE
Extent of American Participa-
ton and Attending Losses
Still Big Question Here.
PERSHING'S OFFICIAL WORD
IS AWAITED BY OFFICIALS
Indications Of Marked Resistance at
Apparently Minor 0utposts Sur
prise to Tacticians.

prise to Tacticians.
Scant information concerning partici
patton Of American troops in Saturdays
engagement at Seicheprey only served
today to add to mysterious features Of
the battle, which will be cleared up only
BY the report of Gen. Pershing, expected
ut any time.
Not only is the extent of American
losses still question of speculation, but
the location of the fighting indicated by
the telegram to the Wolff bureau also
left Army officers here in the dark. This
telegram stated that "dense columns Of
:Snemy tallied) reinforcements were dis
Recovered north of Beaumont and also be-
:yond Bernecourt and were badly mauled
:.by our destructive fire."
:. Oficers here are at loss to know
::why there should have been a show OF
:1uch marked resistance at these points
ION the outposts of the allied lines
Those outposts. they stated. ordinarily
:.be evacuated in the face OF an enemy
::raid.
= One suggestion was that the German
faction may have been construed as
::.more than raid; as an effort to widen
.-thetr salient about St. Mihiel. which
the German position would be danger
:.ous were there to be active dghting In
..:that region.
:: Chose to Engage Americans.
:. Another possible explanation, which
.1ains weight from the subsequent lack
of German activity in this satlient. is
-Angage the newly arrived Americans to
TEST their mettle. learn about their
Ga snd gsseb al o fhe
:;crue from the capture Of large num-
:: The Germans have tested out each
:.1hshion. Because OF this effort. some
::.onicers argue, the validity Of Gen.
:Pershing's position that greatest care
.:.be exercised in giving out information
rs borne out. Officers returned recently
.:from France have professed to be sur
..prised by the extent to which each side
:is attempting to get minute bits of in
;:fosmation about the enemy, and great,
In piecing such information together
:sand thus gaining an idea Of most vul-
sHofable points for attack
IONS. and new methods Of fighting, any
:::new equipment. or any new tactics Of
s.evsn minor sort. such an engagement
ss:es that at seicheprey would serve the
Fittings. How the immediate publica-
Hon Of q casualty list. with addresses
following such an encounter, also was
pointed out.
II there were a group Of men from a
certain point there. and II other men
later were captured, either there or else
where. containing men belonging to units
indicated by those addresses, the Germans
then would be In possession Of what they
consider valuable information In the dis
position and movement Of the American
endorsements.
Points to American Losses.
The first report Of Cen Pershing on tho
seicheprey is understood to point to an
american loss in the Toul sector Saturday
Of about 200, and that the German losses
are estimated at between 500 and AGO.
II was explained today that 1t may be
some time before the exact number Of
prisoners taken is reported. At first they
would be reported missing and only
after the lapse Of few days would the
commanding officer be able to state
whether they had been taken.
One thing about the action is ap-
parent, Army officers say That is that
modern lighting is not altogether the
cut ana dried affair. the machinellke
ana precalculated process that 1t is
often pictured. In other words there
It'll is opportunity for personal valor.
reading OF the German version of the
encounter In the Toul sector, which spea ks
q severe hand-to-hand fighting" OF
the activity Of airmen and Of machine
gun operations, gives promise that
when the story Of the engagement is
known there will be tales Of heroism
o. the part Of American fighting men
Claims 1873 Americans.
The Germans claim to have captured
1SS Americans and to have killed and
wounded many more, and SO far there
has been no official American answer
70 the claim. This situation will result
IN q revival OF consideration at the Wal
statement be issued from the headquar.
tsrs OF the American expeditionar,
FORCES the explanation heretofore
given for the refusal to accede to the
proposal has been that American troop.
are part of and are cooperating witt
large French and British units, and thai
an Independent American communion,
would necessarily duplicate British OF
It is realized. however, that German
claims, unless specifically denied iron
authoritative sources. will be regarded
a. statements of fact with inevitabl,
country. For that reason Secretar,
Baker Is disposed to reopen the Who'll,
question with Gen. Pershing However
IT is possible that instead of daily state
ments on operations arrangements will
be made whereby enemy claims of SINH
lar nature may be dealt with by tn,
American commander.
1t has been definitely decided that. a.
soon as American forces in any consid
cradle number are again acting as a,
Independent unit, a daily statement a
to its activities will be issued.
Vigorous Resistance by o. s. Troops
The French newspapers make specia
mention OF the Seicheprey AFFAIR Il
which the American troops vigorousl,
resisted very strong enemy attack
4 dispatch from France follows:
''Seicheprey. is twenty-eight kilo
meters eastward of . St. Mihiel. Tn
Germans launched two separate at
tacks on the Goth and the 21st q
April against the American positions
both were repulsed after short fight
and the line has been everywhere hel,
last.
1.-THE Petit Parisien comments on tn
operation in the following terms:
The enemy has little cause to b
proud Of the hght which he started a
he to