Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-08
Minor CASUALTIES
!, WILL Be REPORTED
Gen. March Promises to Let
Home Folks Know of
Trivial Wounds.
10000 NEVER MENTIONED

are 10000 Tight" casualties among
the American forces abroad which
were not considered serious enough to
include in the published casualty
lists. Gen. March, chief of stan, dis
closed a new system Of making public
the casualties which the War Depart
ment Is soon to inaugurate.
There has been some discussion In
the United States about our casualty
lists" said Gen. March. The War
Department has been trying to get
in touch with the exact condition OF
casualties in France. because we have
heard from a number OF sources OF
relatives at home receiving tnforma-
ton direct from their people in France
of men being wounded when the war
Department had not notined the
relatives at home.
AT an early stage in the reporting
Of casualty lists Gen. Pershins asked
for authority not to report slight
casualties, because the men would be
back on the firing line before the
report. after investigation, could reacn
the United States. 1t was thought
and prevent needless worry to rela-
tives if that system were adopted.
Opinions Differ.
"Of course, it is we'll understood
that the opinion of a man who has
been wounded may differ materially
from the opinion of the doctors as
to its severity. Undoubtedly great
many men have written home telling
- nd dOCS0ra
pronounced light. and which Pershing
had listed as not severe. when the
letters might indicate to the people
at home that they were severe.
$50 1 have gotten a report from Con
Pershing as to the number OF those
casualties, in addition to those which
he has published, SO as to be able TO
give the facts to the American peo-
pie. 1 am giving the facts to the peo-
pie because 1 know they will race any
courage, whatever 1t is:
Seen. Pershing reports that up 10
August 20 there were 10000 casualties
not reported which were hsteo ny
to hospitals and gone back to the line.
and that sort of thing. But IN Sprder
to meet what I think to be the just
demands of the people at home TOT
France, 1 am going to have Gen.
Pershing forward by courier to US
here the entire hospital records OF the
A, e. F., giving all casualties, no mat
day, with a medical diagnosis Of each
case. Then 1 propose to put IN the
hands of the relatives. after the ar
rival Of the first courier with SUCH
records. statement OF the diagnosis:
I'VE will then suspend on the part OF
Gen. Pershing any report OF wounded:
He will report deaths, missing and
such major casualties. The War De-
partment will start in with the ar.
rival of the first courier to give out
ali information about casualties"
Military Situation.
Discussing the military situation.
Gen. March said:
''Since last Wednesday the allied
line has gone forward on a wide front.
The retreat of the enemy has been
general along a front OF 100 miles,
Rheims. Additional ground has also
been yielded to the allies on the Flan-
ders front. The pressure which forced
this retreat came at two points,: %
British front between Arras and Pc
rome. and (2) Franco-American Sec
tor on plateau of scissors.
1.-The British drive toward Cambria
paused on the line Of La Sensee
marshes, northwest OF Cambria and the
Canal du Nord, where the enemy ap-
You'd this canal Cambria Is only seven
miles away.
THE terrain consists Of low hills.
with no natural obstacles to a further
advance. The British, however. cross
ed the canal farther south, 'and also
the Somme river, both north and south
of Peronne. and advanced rapidly dur
ing Thursday and Friday toward the
Hindenburg line north Of st. Quentin.
1.-The advance Of the French in tho
Noyon sector, which began last We'd
nesday. when they captured the great
err part of the Autrecourt plateau.
northeast of Noyon. spread on the fol-
lowing days, until It merged with the
British advance on the north and with
the French advance in the Scissors
region and along the Vesle.
Near Hindenburg Line.
Last night the allies were only
eight miles from st. Quentin. The
Hindenburg line is only ten miles
away at the farthest point.
The Franco-American drive across
the plateau north of scissors, directed
against the flank Of the Chemin des
Danes. after a week of severe fight
without further resistance from the
Nesle. Our allied forces crossed the
Nesle-Aisne ridge and reached the
Aisne river on a ten-mile front last
night.
In Flanders. a little more ground,
mainly Belgian soil. north of Armen-
there's, has been reoccupied by the
allies.
THE steady withdrawal of the Ger
mans under pressure of our forces
has now forced them to a point over