The Sentinel=record. (Hot Springs, Ark.) 1900-current, 1918-08-25
PLAN is TO CRUSH
THE GERMAN ARMY
First Test the Americans We're Put to
Showed Them the Equal If Not the
Superior of Any of the Seasoned
Troops on Either Side OF the Com
batant Armies.
batant Armies

Washington, Aug. "a Announcing
that to date, more than 100000
American soldiers have embarked for
foreign shores, General March, chief
of staff, re- iterated today his firm
belief that the presence of 100000
troops of the United States in France
|by next summer would enable the al
lies to carry out any campaign they
may adopt for the defeat of Germany
and the end of the war.
such declarations, General March
said, were founded upon cold blooded
Istudy of the respective man power oil
all the allies, and of the enemy in
June 1919 and "are not issued as
spread-eagle statements"
General March impressed the news
paper men who met him in conference
today with the absolute confluence
American officers have in their men
as a result of the initial tests on the
battle fields of France. He minated
that the somewhat sensational pre-
diction which he had made was based
as much upon these soldierly quail
ties as in the numerical superiority
which tho war department plans to
give the allied command by mid d-sum
mer OF next year.
"The American soldier deserves the
confidence of the American people,
said General March, "on every occa-
Ision so far where he has been tested
he has absolutely delivered the goods.
my confidence in them is inspired
and developed by serving with them
land beside them in battle. ! have or
dered back from France certain men
who have won distinction over there ia
give them increased rank in the AZ
visions organizing at home Those
men talk the same language | do. You
90 not find any lack of confidence on
the front in France among the Amer
lean forces.
These officers are now telling me
interesting things which have not ye'
come over in official reports. One OIL
|ficer reported specifically that In one
engagement of the first American al
vision, they captured 68 German guns
end brought them in at the rear OF oul
trucks. On the same occasion they
took $500 prisoners.
Another officer reported that the
second division, which he was with
captured ten complete German batter
les which they brought in and pre-
sented to General Pershing'
No recent reports have been made
to the department on the progress o
the organization of the first Unite'
States field army and the chief OF stat
was unable to say whether the con
centration of the thirty divisions def
initeIy assigned 10 this force wa
nearing completion This organization
is being placed entirely in the hand
of General Pershing who is governed
| by instructions from General Foch
The fact that no mention of American
units participating in French and Brit
| ieh drives thir week has been made le'
| to the firm belief here that thes'
troops have been withdrawn and sen
| to the American sector in readiness
| for whatever move is assigned to thea
in the allied plan.
Discussing the changes on the west
ern front since last "Wednesday Cen
eral March said the French operatini
in the Noyon sector have now ad-
vanced across the plateau overlook
ling that important base until the.
have reached the Disc and have prog
dressed northeast to the Ailette.
The enemy has been pushed out 0