Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-09-22
NEARLY 100000
TROOPS EMBARKED
General March Says News From
Front Continues to
Be Good.
LORRAINE FRONT STABILIZED
Laon, Key Position on Southern
End of Picardy Line,
Under French Fire.
LORRAINE FRONT STABILIZED

WASHINGTON, September 2l-Em
barkation of American soldiers for all
fronts overseas. has now passed the
l.T50.oo0 mark, General March an
nounced to-day. He said military news
during the past week from all front,
has been continuously good
SIX months ago to-day the enemy
flung his full military power against
The British lines in picardy in the drive
that was to end the war. To day he is
fighting desperately to hold the ,o,.cr-
ing liindenburg line, the defensive sys-
tenn from which he struck tina, blow.
ana back into which he has been
hurled. British French and American
armies have broken definitely the Ger
man offensive power. in ouicial opinion
here. Already the American forces in
FRANCE arc more than haIf as strong
as the whole German army, and the
tide OF American lighting men toward
france is continuing al an even pace.
In payment for their lavish cXpcndi-
ture OF lives in the abortivc offensive
the German leaders have now been
compelled by formal decree to reduce
@ ,ne hsh,ins strength of every infantry
unit. Instead of $50 men in each bat
talon there are now only so under
the revised organization. In no other
way could the drain be met. To mill
itary observers this means that every
German battalion or company when al
full strength. must face an allied or
American unit of the same type that is
at least / . per cent stronger in fshtinE
men.
There appears good reason 10 believe
,hat the German losses in prisoners
alone since the tide turned against
them in July would reach we'll up to-
ward 100000 were the truth known
The losses in guns and other materia!
have not been computed.
CABLEGRAM TELLS OF
FINE WORK OF FRENCH
4 pi\ "a
| the fine work OF the French. who CO.
! operated with the Americans in the
advance on 81. Mihiel, was furnished
by General March. who said:
III appears that the French regiment
that had the honor OF being first TO
enter ST. Mihiei was led by the son
iment Of Zouares. Colonial infantry and
men OF the Foreign Legion. composed
almost entirely OF the laborins class
The work of the French in connection
character that we found always show
Ing all along the 'front.'"
On The Lorraine front wherc Cen
erai PershinE's first American amy
has comPIete5 its. operation to clint
rate the st. Mihiel salient. the situa.
ton has become stabilized. with the
In front of the Americans. This line
stretches for twenty miles from Mai
1.eray TO the Moselle at Wanderers. The
Metz and an equal distance from Con-
fans
Answering questions egarding sneci.
nc American units General March said
the Ninetieth Division (Texas and
okinhoTa National Guard trcops) is
In the Eosses. while the Thirtv-sixth
Division tTcSns and Oklahoma National
Guard troops) is in L training sector
with the French.
The One Hundred and Fourteenth
Engineers, of the Thirty ninth Divi-
sion ARKANSAS. Mississippi and Iouisi-
ana National Guard troops) has just
landed in France.
COMMANDER OF SCOTS
PRAISES AMERICANS
General March read a cableSram cit
ing a general order issued by Major
General II. l.. Reed, comma ndinE the
army praisins the first artillery bril-
gade OF the first American division
Geguiars) for work in co-operation
with the Scots.
The order said that the fifteenth
had never received such perfect as
sistance in 'taking over" operations.
although 1t was realized that the
Americans AT that time must have been
unher severe strain and had suffered
severe casualties.
In picar rdy. the chief OF. staff cx
piained, the French are now within
one-half mile of the junction of ina
Ehemin- des- Danes with the road from
MauoeFEe and are within ten miles Of
Loan, which is being sheIled The
capture of 10000 prisoners since We'd
nesday by the British. as reported in
press dispatches. was Officially con-
firmed.
In Macedonia. General March said
the Serbian attack front of twen-
tE-nTe miles has forced back the Bull
SarianS nearly twenty miles over \
1h! Nc! Hl'nruit and mountainous region.
me war department has had no report
on TIE i3ritiSh success in Palestine
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