Evening star., 1918-03-30
WILL CUT OVERSEAS
CARGOES TO HURRY
TROOP MOVEMENT
War Department Perfecting
Plans to Get Americans
'Over There"
PRESENT DEPARTURES
"W0ULD SURPRISE
Speculation Hints That Our Troop6
May Train in Evacuated Brit
ish Camps.

ish Camps.
| Ways in which overseas shipments
may be curtailed in order further to
accelerate transportation of American
troops to France are under consideration
at the War Department.
Already troops are being sent ut .
rate which cannot be told, but which
might surprise the public.
! Recent intimations that Great Britain
is sending large numbers Of her troops
hitherto held for home defense to
France, presumably to take part In the
expected counter offensive. led to specu.
lation about the possibility Of sending
American troops to the English train
ing camps vacated by the reinforce-i
ments rushed to the front. The theory
is that such American troops might
complete their training in England,
and be closer to the zone of action whoa
needed. But there was no hint that this
plan is yet being considered.
Ships constitute the vital problem
which must be taken into consideration
in connection with the comparatfto
needfulness of other supplies theoo
ships are carrying to that Of man
power. Officers today admitted that if
a serious shortage OF man power a..
the western front Is threatened 1e
might be possible further to curtA4
other shipments and send more men, bnss
already cargoes going abroad have beens
well cut down to the vital necessaF1e9
without which the men sent over wou4
not be of any avail.
Dutch Tonnage May Aid.
| A slight possibility of increasfnv
numbers of men sent abroad, it wal
stated, lay in the added tonnage af~
forded by the Dutch ships recently
taken over.
/ Some officers also view with concern fhnr
renewed activity OF submarines, vinoGa;
operations seemed to become more ~
gressive simultaneously with the start ~
| the German drive.
| ReporfS that more men would be rl1ahs
ed to the camps and the training psoe
gram greatly accelerated were discounted
\ by the statements Of War Department
officials that already the men availAb3a
exceed the means of transportation Upo8
the prospective available shipping c4pa}:
city this surplus of men lover shipoftH.
transport them.s their. supplies, equipmen<
and munitions promises to continue. Il II
I Though some. officers disagree wk4.
4
ment before the Senate military cbMss
mittee yesterday when he said the Bfft-s
fish Withdrawals were based wholly on
prearranged plans and were pracffcaHy
| over, they main tanned optimisms e1-
pecially in view OF the reports fof the
| last twentyfour hours.
| These officers do not believe the Brit.
| ish were unprepared for the drive, hut
| the tremendous force at certain pointA
! they believe. led the English to go
| farther back than they desired. ana.
also required an opposition which en-.
| tailed more severe losses than were ex.
pected, but these losses were more
| than compensated for by the heavier
German losses.
Activity in Other Zones Expected.
Activity in other parts of the line. not
within the zone of the drive. is to be
expected from now on. including the
sector held by Americans, as part OF
the general strategy of both sides, Il
was explained. Both sides are desirous
not only of keeping the opposing force
engaged so that reserves cannot be re-
leased to any, marked extent. but also
both will seek by show Of activity to
gain information about the extent OF
the withdrawal of reserves to the main
center of action, and each may see IN
Withdrawals that are made opportunf.
ties for advances.
Belief that the counter offensive or
the allied forces now is matter OF
activity of this kind expected yester-
day seems yet to have taken place. Such
minor changes of position as took place
yesterday. it was stated. seem to place
the advantage with the allies, since the
Germans still further are in wedge po-
sitions at some points without having
been able to secure saefty by a general
advance which would straighten their
lines.
On the French front the line is hold. 4
ing unshaken its threatening outlook
on the German flank. The dash Of the
French troops in their brilliant cour-
ter-attack near Montdidier won enthu- &
siastic approval from Gen. March.
ut was a great exhibition" he said.
only been stopped. but hurled back
three miles before the headlong rush
of the French.
Source of Counter Drive.
1t is from this line that officers here
believe the counter drive, which cer-
tafnly is impending, will be launched
The Germans are pushing on doggedly,
but they are being checked all along
the front.
Unless they display new force soon and
compel further retirements. even the Ger-
man official statements will be unable to
conceal the fact that they have failed to
rupture the allied battle front, deeply A
they may have dented it. That may Be
the moment for the French to strike aud
some officers here think a substantial
American force. possibly full Army
corps, will share honors with the French
in the movement
The American divisions. 1t is believed<
are physically in better shape than thoos n
of any other army. They have not bssn
depleted by casualties. They win bring
to the front all the dash OF new troopo.
For offensive operations they are IN s
splendid shape.
Their lack Of complete training nov
would be felt more in the stern business
of defense than in the dash and exc1f4-
ment of a forward rush. Supported tiv
sea soned French storming troops, Il =
believed they would show themselves to z
the best advantage in the attack and d. (
servers here think the French leaders w11l Z
realize that fact and take full adyantaED (
Of it.
Pleased With Foch.
American officers generally are elatsd h
over the appointment Of Gen. Foch a. 1t s
directing hand Of the allied forces Suck
an administration not only has imEnedinfo
military value, II is believed. but win ltend :,
toward a better correlation Of the general
questions Of supply. troop distributioh,
in France and maneuvoEs e
iues throughout the summer -