The Washington herald., 1918-08-01
'ANNIHILATION'
ALLIES OBJECT
STATES MARCH
Armies Are Now at Death
Grapple" in Rheims
Scissors Sector.
FOCH KEEPS INITIATIVE
Defeated Power Must Take
Months to Recoup-Cas-
ualty List Soon.

Nothing less than the snnihilation OF
the German army Is the aim OF the
allied forces in the Rheims-Soissons
sector. according to Maj. Cell March,
the American Chief of Stan.
The two forces are now in what may
be described as a death grapple, since
the Germans have stopped their re-
treat TO give battle TO the relentless
forward push Of the Franco-American
forces. Only in the event that the
enemy again turns his back in retreat
can a continuous battle-in which one
army or the other. or both. perhaps.
will be SO broken that 1t will Jake
months to reconstruct it-be avoided.
Foch will not abandon the initiative.
unless the Prussians fall upon him
with such overwhelming fury that he
Is forced to do so. The present strate-
gic position Of the allies is so advan-
tageous that there Is little prospect OF
this.
THE objective of each army Is the
other army; each one OF them wants
to kill as many of the others as sos-
sible." said Gen. March. in his talk 10
newspaper correspondents yesterday.
He asserted. however. that the
enemy had had ample time to slip out
Of the moose. the allies having failed
to close the jaws at scissors and
Rheims. The Germans have had two
weeks to withdraw from the salient,
but have left considerable stores and
guns behind them.
March's Statement.
I Gen. March said:
Since spoke to you last Sat
urday. the general salient has fiat
tened out -copsiAerabIy. He has fall
len back rapidly to the line on the
Rheims-Dormans road. and the
the Ourcq valley, while his extreme
West flank. on the plateau South of
scissors. Is exactly where 1t was
before. On his extreme east flank he
has reduced the re-entrent which
the allies had driven in there.
The enemy's retirement has been
very slow, with strong counter-at-
tacks in which the American force
has been engaged.
Il have ordered the formation Of
six new American divisions in the
United States. They will be num-
bered from Is to 20 and will be
organized at Camps Logan, Kear-
ney. Dodge and Sewer. These diyi-
sions will have as a nucleus, as the
= Va ohA1CN last
did. two regular infantry regi-
ments. following the policy OF the
War Department to replace as far as
possible every soldier at home who
is fit for service abroad with the
nome guards or men of limited
service. The regular regiments re-
1erred TO will be the nucleus of
these divisions.
'EHlloWin9
we have ordered the transfer from
the cavalry to the field artillery
arm of the service of fifteen nation
al army cavalry regiments, num-
bered from sol to 315. These men
have been In the United States for
some time and have a good deal of
training and are now going to be
utilized for service abroad. These
regiments will form part of the
field artillery for the new diyi-
sions now being organized"
Gen. March replied to written
questions.
One was: "In the matter of casual
ues. press reports this morning refer
to heavy losses and the German ac-
counts of the last three or four davs
emphasize the tremendous losses Can
anything be said to prepare the coun-
try for what to expect?'
He answered. in the matter of
casualties, the War Department has
adopted the following policy and we
have ordered Gen. Pershing to carry
1t out. There will be no separation
Of casualties into lists going over a
long period of time. but he will cable
in as they occur all casualties, shich
will be released to the public at once.
He has sent a cablegram to that ef-
feet. and as soon as the machinery
starts we will give out to the press
all casualties. no matter wnat they
are"