Evening star., 1918-08-03
EIGHT DIVISIONS
OF AMER|CANS0N
A|SNE-MARNE LINE
Gen. March Gives Credit to
-''Rain-
bows"

Eight divisions of American troops
now are actively engaged in the battle
on the Aisne-Marne salient, Gen
March. chief Of stan. told newspaper
men at the weekly conference today.
These divisions are the LIST, I'd. Sd and
4th regulars, and the 26th, 2sth. 32d
and 42d (Rainbow) National Guard.
Gen. March announced that it was
the 42d Division which met and de-
feated the Prussfan Guards during
the present week.
No Estimate Of Casualties.
No estimate of the total casualties
suffered by American troops in the
advance on the Marne has been re-
oeived by the War Department, said
Gen. March. This statement would
seem to dispose of various rumors.
current in Washington in the last
forty-eight hours, of alleged American
losses, some of the rumors giving ap-
palling figures.
Maj Gen. Hunter Liggett. command
ing the 1st American Army Corps,
is in active charge of that corps on
the center Of the allied drive.
The American divisions forming this
corps are serving continuously on
this sector, the control of which is in
the hands of Gen. Liggett. as COM
mander Of the first major American
unit to get into action in France.
100000 Embark in July.
The grand total of men embarked to
the end Of July has passed the 1900, 900
mark, Gen. March said. Total embark
alton Of American troops during July
broken all records, more than SOC, 900
men having been shipped. The previous
high monthly record was for June, when
276, 900 men were sent over seas
Gen. Pershing. as result Of recent
transfers of American divisions which
had been brigaded with the British, noY
has 1000. 600 men under his direct COM
mand. the chief Of stan stated.
pointed out that official dispatches
covering the battles to August 2
showed the present front running
practically parallel to the Vesle and
Andre valleys, the next defensive line
of the enemy. At that time the ad-
of this line. Later dispatches, how
ever, have indicated that the vesle-
Andre line may have been turned al
ready.
The objective of the American and
allied led armies still is the snS SsstsuctSn sa;g
The maximum retreat Of the enemy
up to August 2 measured sixteen
miles, the total length Of the Aisne-
Marine salient having been reduced
from seventy-four miles to forty
eight.
The French and British pounding at
both f1anks of the salient, Gen. March
said, had resulted in the collapse of
the German resistance on August I,
and the French had walked into Sois-
sons.
The advance in the center had aver
aged three miles on a front of thirty
miles, he said, while on the east flank,
west of Rheims, an advance Of four
miles on a four-mile front already had
been made.
Message Indicates Fun Success.
The complete success Of the allies is
indicated by q confidential message
reaching the chief of staff from an
officer. who at the time of writing had
This officer reported that 1t was
seemingly impossible" for any army
to gather the number of guns and
shells that were abandoned by the
Germans in their retirement.
The message added that the Ger
mans had been driven back without
time to bury their dead and the Ger
man bodies lay so thickly 1t was i'm
possible to advance without walking
over them.
The selection Of Maj. Gen. Jesse Mel.
Carter, now serving as chief of the
militia bureau. and commander of
the United States Guard. to head one
of the new divisions to be formed in
1fu ~