Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1918-03-28
EXPLAINS j. s.,
CASUALTY PLAN
General March Tells Evils of Old
System.
CLAIM AGENTS HARRASS KIN
Commander Tells Senate Publication
of Addresses of U. S. Soldiers
Aided Enemy-Spies For
warded Data to Berlin.

Washington, March 27-An official
statement of the war departments rea-
sons for announcing only the names of
American troops killed or wounded in
France was submitted to the senate
by Major General March, acting chief
OF staff, with statement that the de
partment considers it of best adyan-
tage from all points of view.
General March said the old system
of giving addresses and other details,
gave information to the enemy and
brought SWarms of claim agents to
harrass the relatives of the men.
The policy of the war department.
General March told the senate is ''tO
put in the hands of the nearest rela-
tive or the last friend given by the sol
dIer in his emergency address, prompt
and accurate Information concerning
the casualty before anything is given
to the press and to prevent any infOr-
nation appearing in the papers which
will be of any possible assistance to the
German cause"
''The old SYSTEM" General March
added, (which gave the date of the
casualty, enabled the Germans to get
exactly what effect was produced upon
our troops in Il raid of that date and
YOU would be interested to know that
the publication of the emergency ad-
dresses brought down upon the rela-
tives swarm Of claim agents who
guaranteed they would get from the
government the war risk insurance
which is guaranteed by law 10 the
proper inheritOr
Many Made Prey of Agents.
In spite of the fact that the de
partment has in each case advised the
nearest relatives that their claims will
he adjusted by the government and
that they will be furnished the money
that IS due them without the interpo-
Stion of claim agents, numbers of poor
people have yielded to the impOrtuni-
ties of these agents and are thereby
deprived Of portion of what is Justly
their due.
The raids which are being conduct
cd along our front are for the purpose
Of capturing one soldier, if possible
with the object Of obtaining from him
information about the organization
which is opposed to the German lines
at tlris point. With the publication OF
the address of the nearest relative the
German agent in the United States ap
prOacheS the relatives and obtains
from them the information which Ger
many is attempting to obtain from Oul
front by attacks on our forces. Ii
France they publish no casualty lists
1T all and the information reaches the
relatives from the mayor or prefect OF
the town where the relatives live. whC
is required to communicate the facts
to them verbally.
Grief Exploited for Notorety.
'The department is i'll receipt of let
tcrs from men of high standing in the
country, who have sons abroad, pro
testing vigorously and demanding tha
no information shall be given to tn,
press which could in any possible wa!
be of assistance to the Germans con
fronting their sons in France. 1t ha:
developed also, according 10 an of
fetal communication from the Rec
Cross. that the relatives of men VIII,
are killed IN France are made victims
of the most absurd propositions to eX
hibit themselves for money, etc, max
ing their grief the object of eXploita
tion by cheap notoliety seekers.
The whole matter of Il change il
our former method in publishing cas-
ualty lists was brought up by cable
gram from General PerShing: in whicl
he stated that representatives of tn
French government had formally pro
tested against the methods that wer
then used"