The daily Alaskan., 1918-09-06
GENERAL MARCH
 PRAISES TROOPS

SemlWeKely press ihterVleW oy Gen. March, August 24, 191S:
 When I talked to you last We'd nesday the French had reached the brink of the plateau overlooking the broad valley of the Disc, southeast of Noyon. Thursday there was a continued advance down the slop- ing plain beyond to the Oise River. and northeastward to the Ailette, the maximum advance being g miles since August IS. The enemy was forced to withdraw from Carlepont Forest, south of Noyon, and fell back across the Disc.
 The fine work which has been done by the French during the past week has been duplicated on the British front. Beginning on We'd nesday on 10-mile front, they started a drive south of Arras and made rapid headway across the rolling plains until at noon on that | day they had advanced to depth of bout 8 miles. Here the advance was delayed, but not stopped, by strong counter attacks on the line os the Arras-Amiens railroad, where the railroad embankments are said to have made good positions for de7 fehse against the English advance.
 On Thursday the British advanced over Albert and gained an import ant triangular tract between the Ancre and the Somme. On Friday the British continued the pressure on both sectors and forced the enc my pack toward Bapaume and so developed new salient. The rest of the line is reported as quiet most of the recent work along the line being nibbling, artillery work exchange of artillery fire, but TO Badyance on large scale.
 We have now crossed, in the nun \ Der of men embarked for foreign shores, the 1,500,00O mark.
 have a telegram by courier from Gen Pershing, which has just come in. in which he calls attention to a circular which has been sent a. round the United States asking people to buy a picture for help or the blind, claiming thousands of blinded soldiers are being brought into Paris. In fact, only two pima American soldiers were in Paris ar ter the recent battle up to August 5
 During the last week in hear lings before the Senate and House Military Committee, in answer to specific questions as to the effect oF the proposed military program upon conditions in France, I made some statements which were releas- ed to the press. Those statements are deliberate military opinion They are founded upon the study 0 the respective man power of all the allies and of the enemy at the time indicated-in June, 1919 - and are not simply issued as spread eagle statements; they are cold blooded military opinion.
 Anybody who has served with the American troops has confidence in Ithem Is inspired and developed Dy serving with them and beside them in battle, and that confidence has been we'll illustrated to me during the past week by officers coming pack from France. I have ordered back from France certain men who have won distinction over there to give them increased rank in the divi sions I am organizing at home These men come in to pay their re- spects, and they talk the same Ian gaage I do. You do not find any lack of confidence on the front in France among the American forces These men are now telling me inter estinS things which have not yet come over in official reports. One officer reported specifically that in ono enlargement of the 1st Ameri- can Division they captured 6S guns of the Germans and brought them in with our own trucks. On the same occasion they took $500 pris- oners. Another officer reported tha Iths 2nd Division, which he was with captured 10 complete German bat teriss, which they brought in and presented to Gen. Pershing.
 The American soldier deserves the confidence of the American peo- lple. On every, occasion So far where he has been tested he has ab- solutely delivered the goods.
 o. G. Burkhardt and wife of