Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-07-26
Low Casualty Rate.

Washington, July 26.-Satisfactory
progress is being made by the Ameri-
can troops assisting the. French and
British in pushing in the German lines
on the Soissons- Rheims salient, men,
bers of the house military committee
were told today by Secretary Baker
and General March. chief Of staff.
The transportation facilities of the
army are adequately
the strain placed upon them
In keeping the moving troops supplied
the representatives were
told, While without information as
to casualties in the present battle,
Secretary Baker said the percentage
Of men killed in previous fighting had
been remarkably low. Figures fur
nished the committee members show
sd that the DEATH rate in battle has
been eight per thousand while there
was exactly the same proportion of
deaths from diseases among the ex-
forces.
The officials said this undoubtedly
was the lowest death rate among
world.
Members Of the committee inquired
as to the losses by the Germans in
killed since the present battle started
but General March said he had no in
formation on that subject, adding that
the American forces were too busy
pressing their offensive to even at
tempt to estimate the German dead. s
Two Towns Captured.
Paris, July 26.-Capture of the
towns of Villemontoire and Oulchy-
is announced by the war
office.
The French took four cannon and
many hundred prisoners in this fight
ing. -.
The statement follows:
Yesterday afternoon French troops
prisoners as we'll as 20 machine guns.
Further south. Oulchy-Le-Chateau
fell into the hands of the French.
The French made progress east of the
town and captured four cannon.
During combats yesterday in the
region south Of the Ourcq the French
took many hundreds of prisoners.
New Army Thrown In.
Paris, July 26.-The Germans have
reinforced their right flank of the
Soissons- Rheims. pocket, says ka
Liberte, with a new army, commanded
o1 sAVAsSbs1A txOAhr AIOOA "4lASAA AA0o. OVSsi
placed between the armies Of General
Won Hutier and General Won Boehm.
Village Completely Destroyed.
. London. July 26.-American troop.
conquered the enemy in tremendous
combat in the region of Epieds and
Trugny, says Reuters correspondent
with the American troops in France.
German infantry which had beer
pushed back from the Marne was hur.
ried forward to check the Franco
American thrust toward Fere-En-Tar.
denois from the southwest. @
The Germans three times wrested
the village of Epieds from their de-.
termined American opponents. In
the meantime the village grew con.
stantly smaller under the = ceaseless
bombardment from both sides anC
finally disappeared, not even a large
pile of bricks being left behind.
When the village disappeared the
Germans were in possession. The
Americans, tired of the ebb and flow
Of the fighting there, had taken the
slopes on either flank and forced the
Germans to make their final massed
attack into the ruins of the village.
Meanwhile the Allied guns had been
brought up beyond the crest of the
hill and as soon as the Germans took
possession of the village they concen-
trated a terrific fire upon it until the
place smoked with it's own dust al
though on fire. When the guns ceased