Omaha daily bee., 1918-07-28

The retirement of the enemy did,
not alter the belief in official circles
that the enemy still contemplates
fighting it out in the region north OF
the Marne. Severe rear guard &C
tions, it was assumed, had been car
ried on by the enemy to cover the
concentration along this line and the
hasty throwing up of field entrench-
ments. 1t was not believed the line
could be definitely located until it
had been reached by the Franco
American advance guard III follow
ing up the retiring enemy rear guard,
German Position Perilous.
With s. German divisions, or one
fourth of the cnemy's entire fighting
strength on the western front,
massed in the narrow battle area, the
guns have been called upon to blast
way through for the allied infantry.
The enemy's situation is regarded as
decidedly unfaworable, penned up as
he is within narrow salient where
zeonverging gunhre is playing havoc
with his troops as well as with his
communication lines. IS.
One suggestion advanced here is
that the internal situation in Germany
and Austria has forced the general
staff to accept battle where military
wisdom would have dictated further
withdrawal.
There are those among the best in
formed offieials here who believe that
if the enemy does elect to fight it
out in his present position, he will re-
ceive the most serious defeat of the
war. They are convinced that he will
come through stand within the
Aisne- e-Marne pocket within losses in
men and material so serious that his
whole fighting machine may be imi
paired.
Enemy Hard Pressed.
=. Secretary Baker said there was no
indication that the vigor of the allied
attack around the salient had lessened.
and there was every sign the enemy
was being hard pressed and harassed.
General March in his talk with
newspaper correspondents drew atten
tion to the inner pocket of the sail
ent, where the recent British advance
southwest of Rheims threatens a new
pincer povement. Enemy troops
south OF this advance, between the
British and the Marine, are in jeopardy
and the French, today's official reports
show, have already made progress in
2 hammering at the southern flank of
this inner pocket by their advance
just below ChatillA.
Two New Corps Formed.
No additional American forces have
been thrown into the Aisne-Marne
battle as yet, he said, although he an
nounced the formation of two addi-
tional American army corps, the
Fourth and Fifth, commanded by
Maj. Gems. George w. Reed and Omar
Bundy. He explained the assignment
Of the 80 divisions which~compose the
five corps now organized to their re-
spective higher units, did not mean
the corps had been ACTUALLY drawn
together. Many of the divisions are
still with the French and British
forces for final training.
Members of the senate military
committee learned from General
March that the July movement of
troops to France probably would
reach total of 100000, making new
record. incidentally the movement
last week was put at $4,000 men, or
about one-half of what has been the
rule for some weeks past.
I. Troops Arrive in Italy.
In the course of his remarks to the
correspondents. General March said
the first American fighting troops had
begun to arrive in Italy. They are
part of the small force of trained men
sent by General Pershing and for the
Continued on Page Two. Column six.)