The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-07-28
Our TROOPS IN ITALY
Movement Means That
the Situation in West
Is Satisfactory.
OUTLOOK HOPEFUL
Two New Army Corps
Formed From Ameri-
can Units Now in
France.
OUTLOOK HOPEFUL

eght{nr troons now are In Italy. They
have arrived in force from Francs
and are in addition to the hospataI
and sanitary units whose arrival "af
made known some time ago Inc "a'
department as yet has no Information
as to their number nor the points
where they will be used.
This announcement was made TO-
day hv General Peyton c, March, cniei
Of staff. He also made public the
organization of two new army corps
the fourth and fifth in France,
The greatest significance of the de-
parture of our troops for Italy Is the
fact that they can be spared IRON
France This is considered proof, that
the west front situation is absolutely
satisfactory. The dispatch of our
fighting men TO the Italian front also
means wonderful effect upon the
morale OF the italian people.
There are now $4,000 American
fighters overseas, General March told
the senate military affairs commit
tee. Last week $4,000 were trans
ported which is below the so,oot
weekly average maintained recently
This, however. was due to unusuails
large shipments of supplies abroad
during the same period
Desperate fighting still IS In pro
gress along the west front. Genera
March said The Franco American
and British forces are driving tbs
Germans to the center of the salient
they now occupy. The town of Epieds
which has been in the thick of the
battle has changed hands four times,
between the Americans and the
enemy. The Americans now hold 1t.
We are going forward steadily.
General March said.
The allied line. which at the be-
ginning of the offensive was seventy
four miles long now Is sixty~fouI
miles. and the Germans, who were
only thirty eight miles from Paris
now are forty-nine miles away.
British reinforcements by dashins
attack, have made mile and half
dent ON four-mile front In the
enemy's left flank southwest OF
Rheims The distance from Scissors
to Rheims. the neck of the bottle, Is
general said
Thus far the area won by the aInse
more than equals the territory taken
by the enemy in Flanders in his re-
cent offensive. the general added.
The allies hold an added advantage
in the fact that their lines now are
within three and one-half miles OF
Fere-en -Tardenois. They are con-
tinuousiy Smelling the big German
supply depot there, which Ia near the
railroad. The number OF American
divisions in the battle Ia the same AZ
1t was last week.
The fourth corps consists of the fol-
lowing units;
Eighty-third division national army
commanded by MAJ r. r.
Glenn: eighty-ninth divisions national
army commanded by Brigdier-General
VIM: thirty seventh division national
guard. commanded by Major-General
Farnsworth. twenty-ninth division
national guard. commanded by Major
General Morton: ninetieth division ma
tional army. commanded by Major
General Henry p. Allen: ninety-second
division national army. a negro divi-
sion. commanded by Major-General
Baliou.
The etghty-third division In COM
posed of troops trained at Camp Sher~
man, Chillicothe. o.; tho eighty-nin
from Camp Funston. Fort Riley, Kas.
thirty-seventh. Camp Sheridan. Mont
gomery. Ala: twenty-ninth, Camp
Mcclellan. Admission. Ala, and the
ninetieth. Camp Travis. Fort Sam
Houston. Texas
The fifth corps consists OF these
units:
Sixth regular division. commanded
by Major-General Erwin: thirty-sixth
division national guard. commanded
by Major w. r. Smith;
seventies sixth division national army,
commanded by Major General II. b.
Hobbs; seventyninth division national
army, commanded by Major-General
Joseph E. Kuhn. eighty-hfth division
national army. commanded by Major
General c. w. kenney; ninety-fir
divisions national army. commanded
by Major General Foitx
The thirty-sixth division is compos-
ed OF troops trained at Camp Bowie.
Fort Worth. seventy-sixth, Camp
Devens. Aver. Mass: the seventy
ninth. Camp Meade. Annapolis June
ton. Md: eighty-nfth. Camp Custer,
Battle Creek. Mich. ninety-nrst.
Camp Lewis. American Lake, Wash
tngton.