Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-26
EXPLAINS ruling
ON CASUALTY LISTS
Gen. March Justifies With
holding Addresses of Men
Killed or Wounded.

Explanation of why the War Depart
ment is unwilling to give to news
papers the addresses of men killed or
wounded is given by Maj. Cen P. c.
March, acting chief of staff, in a letter
to Representative Medill Mccormick OF
Illinois. He says the reasons are:
l. ITO put into the hands of the
nearest relative or friend given by the
prompt and accurate information con-
corning the casualty before anything is
given to the press.
2 ITO prevent any information ap-
pearing in the papers which will be of
any possible assistance to the German
cause"
Discusses the Old System.
Gen. March explained that the old
system which gave the dates or the
casualties enables the Germans to get
exactly what effect was produced upon
our troops in a raid of that date. He
also said the publication of the emer-
gency addresses brought down upon
the relatives a swarm of claim agents
who guaranteed that they would get
from the government the war risk
insurance which is guaranteed py law
to the proper inheritor.
Cen March points out that in spite
of the fact that the department mas IN
each case advised the nearest relative
that their claims will be adjusted by
the gvernment and that they VIII pc
furnished the money due them without
the interposition of claim agents, num-
bers of poor people have yielded to the
importunity of these agents and are
therefore deprived of a portion of what
IL justly due them.
Further Explanation.
Gen. March also explained that the
raids being conducted along our front
are for the purpose of capturing SOL
diers, with the object of obtaining from
them information about the strength
and purpose of the organization OPP
posed to the German line at that par
ucular point He explained that when
the addresses of the nearest relatives
are published. German agents in the
United States approach the relatives
and obtain from them Information
which Germany is attempting to OBJ
tain at the front by attacks on our
forces. In France, he says, they pub
nation reaches the relative from the
mayor or project of the town. who is
required to communicate the fact YER
bally.
letters from men Of high standing in
this country who have sons abroad and
who protest vigorously against any
change in the new system, and who de-
mand that no Information shall be
given to the press which could in any
possible way be of assistance to the
Germans confronting their sons in
France. also is stated by Gen. March
He says it has developed. also, accord
ing to an official communication from
the Red Cross that relatives of men
who are killed in France are made VIC
tims of the most absurd propositions
to exhibit themselves for money, thus
making their grief the object Of ex-
pioitation by cheap notoriety seekers.
Information From Gen. Pershing.
The whole matter Of change of meth
DDS publishing casualty lists, Cen March
states, was brought up by cab1egram
from Gen. Pershing. in which he stated
that representatives of the French gov
erument had formally protested against
the methods then used. They referred
to specific case, a statement given
out In the United States. officially, which
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