Arizona republican., 1918-08-04
CASUALTY LIST |S NOTHING LIKE WHAT
 T WAS REPORTED
Republican A. P. Leased Wire1


 WASHINGTON, Aug. 9.-Widely published reports today that General March, chief of staff, had told the sen- ate military committee General Per shing had estimated American casul- ties in the Marne fighting at 12,OOO, not only grossly misinformed the coun- try, but caused consternation and re- gret among war department officials. 1 General March denied making any such statement, and the senators con- 1 firmed his denial. Secretary Baker also denounced their reports. When the senators asked General March if he had any estimate of casualties in the Marne fighting, he said he had not.
 March Has No Estimate i Later in the conference with corre- spondents the chief of staff was asked:
 Have you any estimate as to the number of casualties?"
 None whatever he replied.
 General March and the senators eX- plained he had been asked for the total casualties reported and had replied be- tween 120O0 and 14,000 This takes no account of the Marne fighting General March's reply was distorted into representing him as saying Cen eral Pershing estimated the cost of the Marne battle at that number
 Cannot Be Complete List General Pershing has been unable to estimate the number or begin sending the names because the wounded are scattered through French and British hospitals and it has been physically 1 impossible to assemble an accurate and complete list. 5.
 At his conference today, referring to Secretary Bakers statement of last night, General March said
 ''The casualty question I understood was to be covered by the secretary of war and believe he did say something about It. General Pershing replied to our order to send in all casualties that the delay in sending them was due to the fact that our men were serving under the British and French. as well as under our own commanders, but that casualties would be cabled as soon as they had been completely verified
 Incorrect Report Disastrous
 You can we'll imagine how disas- trous it would be if the casualties were cabled and the corrections had to be made. The distress would be beyond all question, and so these fists are go- ing to come in and as soon as they dc come in they will be given out, what ever they are"
 | Secretary Baker in his talk to tho correspondents said: |.
 "I have before me a copy of tn, Washington Times, carrying a state ment that General Pershing estimates United States casualties at 12,000 anC l says that General March said that t' the military affairs committee. Th is not so. General March said nothn, ] on the subject nor did I. Nobody sait anything on that subject or anythin, like it that I can recall.
 Chart Showed Grand Total
 There was chart showing the tota : number of casualties in the America l expeditionary force up to the presen 5 time of all kinds from all sources am : that aggregated something like 12.O0 2 and that chart was shown, but it ha nothing whatever to do with casualtie in the present drive"
 p The committee on Public Informatio = issued this statement:
 y "The statement is published toda | that the chief of staff, General Marc y informed the senate military commit
 
 ualties as computed by General Persh ing was about 12,O00. Another estimat S was 14,000
 Says Statements Absolutely False . These statements are absolutel n false. General March did not give an n estimate or intimate any number Il American casualties. On the contrar, g General March's announcement to tt newspaper men today was availab d and explained the situation as regard K casualties
 At the request of the chief of staf = editors and correspondents are heret g cautioned against publishing these fals y statements that any estimate has bee made regarding the number of Amer can casualties"
 IL In statement issued tonight. F. y Walker, managing editor of the Wasf l. ington Times, said the report that thel y had been 12,000 casualties in the Amel . ican forces in the present offensiv = was received from the United Pres and was printed on that authority.