Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-07-24
FIVE MILLION ARMY
TOSENO TO GEN.FOCH
Baker Preparing New Call With
Changed Draft Ages; Victory
Waits on United States.

ne present liIti0, nut WIN iTllaIiN
a niiIion others either in France or
ha>tennu arrosS the ocean to JON in
the fight. General foch has been able
h turn The table on the enemy and
strike blow that has changed the
whole trend oi the war
Officials here. while FULLY recognizing
The factor that the americans are to-
LAY only u comparatively small part of
the vast forces the supreme comman-
der Is using IN working out his stra-
tegIcdcsign>. realize that the American
army going forward IN constantly IN
rrcasiug stream. IS the governing factor
IN restoring the initiative to the allied
forces Plans are. therefore, taking
shape rapidly at the War Department
10 accelerate and enlarge the American
military program.
100000 MEN ~ BATTLE sOoN.
1t Is now virtually certain that Cen
Cral Foch viii have at fcwest 2.OOO,OoO
american troops 10 supplement his al
led armies before the present fighting
season closes Secretary Baker an
uounccd TODAY the War Department 5
new program embracing enlarged ar my
appropriations. notifications OF the
draft ages 10 increase the reservoir ot
lighting men. and plans for larger
mobilization ot the army han any vet
undertaken would soon hc ready for
Congress lie would give no details, but
THE plans probably aim Al getting under
arms without DELAY i total force not far
short II the 50u0.O00 figure widely dis
,a.o~cd III Congress when the ~uhjcct
Mas las, under consideration there
huns NOT DEFINITELY DEFEATED
The fighting IN the Aisnc salient
where the whole German offensive
scheme ha1 been upset Is not definitely
defeated h, the bold strategy oi Cfcn-
cral Foch has opened new possibilities
There is increased need for haste IN the
upi ION Of officials in getting full
American manpoWcr ready 10 supple
mcnt the efforts that appear now ;o be
taking shape toward hurting the enemy
lack aIl along the front and beginning
the advance that viii end ony when
victory has been achieved
Reports TODAY Indicated hat full
one-half of It'll ground Won ~ the Ger
mans IN the sl~ue salient already has
been torn from the cncmys grasp and
the French British and American
troops were still pressing on n last ac-
counts MIR Baker said today that the
last reports from General Pershng we're
satisfactory II Was clear however
that tho minds oi officials here were
cngro>Scd III preparations for ot1cpSrve
tattles on an even larger scale.
GERMAN ARCH wEAKENED
The German offensive arch in France
has rested upon two great pillars, ono
IN the Picardv front md the other on
The Marine K has been repca ed v
stated that the pressing home Of tins
ightv pIncer movement threatening
10th Paris ana tho Channel ports as it
progressed hsls been the German oh
Iect from the first day the battle Of
1918 was opened last March
The southern pillar Of that arch has
now been gravel weakened Its often
slve value i gone By desperate efforts
he Germans are seek ING 10 prevent It
from coll4pSlng altogether crushing the
whole divisions Of their hest troops III
its fall Even i the allied advance Is
checked now there appears little lIkeli-
hood that the enemy could recreate his
tactical position on a basis that would
permit hIm to continue his old plan of
campaign before the coming Of winter
Meanwhile British troops are still nib
blng away at the enemy IN Flanders
and elsewhere to the north with IN
varying surcesS Just north OF Mont
tIidier the French have struck a new
blow the full significance OF which Is
not vet clear lis success. howeverl was
startling even from the meagcr ac-
counts 50 far received
"NIBBLI<G DOWNFALL or ROCHE.
Some observers believed the new at
tack was a minor operation, designed TO
pm German reserves 70 that front Just
Is the British nbbllng has pinned en-
emv forces there when they were badly
needed In the south Others saw deeper
strategy behind both British efforts in
Flanders and the French and British
local thrusts III Picardy
The allied reserves on the Aisne-Marne
line now have the advantage Of Interior
lines They occupy d salient buttressed
on forests and other strong positions
which the enemy was unable 10 break
through when IN the full strength Of his
great drive 1t appeared possible to
some officers here that the next few
days might see an allied assault Oh both
sides OF the Picardy front, delivered
with the purpose Of forcing German re-
serves 10 rush back around the corner
of the COmpiegne salient from the AIsne
theatre
If resistance TO the allied advance
from the Marne becomes too great to
be overcome they confidently expect
some such operation, as General Foch
frequently has proved his full knowledge
of the value Of holding the initiative
and can be relied on to hold II bv sur
prise assaults which will wear out the
German reserves IN h1irrvIng from front
to front to meet them
so far as future American particIpa-
ton goes General March has already
disclosed 10 members Of Congress the
fact that offensive operations against
the enemy on a large scale had been ex-
pected to be undertaken later III the
wear That general scheme. IL IS thought,
accounts for the new plans Of the War
Department, since what is beng devised
now is IN preparation for the spring
campaign Of next year in all probability
MORE THAN CAN BE SHIPPED.
There are already available more
troops than can be shipped to the front
before winter brings the fighting to a
halt although the last i've weeks have
seen 100000 American troops sent to
France.
Ia making his statement odav Mr.
Baker would not say what changes in
draft ages were low contemplated The
matter was still under study. he said
Incidentally, he disclosed the fact that
q definite figure for American forces
10 be employed IN France within some
nA~rr ~~g~~