The Washington herald., 1918-03-09
Forces of Uncle Sam Conf
dent Of Victory IN Mo-
mentous Clash.
u. S. TO HOLD BACK
RECORD OF DEATHS
Indications Are Kaiser VIII
Direct Attack on Two
Battle Fronts.

Germany is ready to launch her
Western offensive. according to
Italian official advices arriving here
last night from Switzerland.
The central empires" the dis
patches state. have completed
their military preparations and the
beginning of the offensive against
the entente is imminent.
Attack Italy.
Everything goes 10 Indicate tina,
the operations of Germany in France
viii be simultaneous with the onen-
sive Of Austria against Italy. Eroni
the same sources IL is learned that
Austro-Hungarian troops have already
been concentrated in very large num-
bers along the Italian line and that
strong costingents are still moving TO
our front"
The American army organization
faces the future with confidence,
Steady and satisfactory progress Is
being made by the fighting machine
Of this country in preparing for The
ordeal, it was indicated last night by
Maj. Gen. Peyton c. March. acting
chief of stan. who Is back from the
front to direct things from this end.
OF course" he cautioned. I'VE had
to start from the bottom. The hand
ling OF a problem Of such magnitude
must necessarily be slow. But the
progress is satisfactory. The hi.
oar rT1n sa IL
important fact"
Within the past twenty-four hours
no additional lists of American cas-
ualties have been made public.
Yesterday the following brief an
nouncement was made BY the Com
mittee on Public Information:
Defer Casualties.
Hereafter the Cotnmitte. 90
Public Information viii not issu.
, casualty lists. Correspondents. edi-
tors and the public should appiv
in the future directly 10 the war
Department for all information con-
, cerning casualties"
Inquiries of Adjt- Gen. Mccain %
the army late yesterday diSclos.4
the fact that while the Department
plans TO make public promptly the
names Of all Casualties received.
nothing will be made public con-
cerning dates. nature ~ wounds in-
fiicted. on what part 81 the line the
men were killed or wounded, or
their home addresses in this coua-
try.
The information. it was stated,
will be withheld on recommends =
tion OF Gen. Pershing
Protesting that suppressi Of
the home addresses would make the
lists valueless for publication. the
committee has refused to handlr
them. Parents and next of kin will
be notified as heretofore direct from
Washington. In view of similarity
! Of names. however, much confusion
is anticipated by the committee
Orders from the White House NAV
4 be necessary to straighten out the
matter.
| In the meantime. pending the mill
: tary and naval Developments cr-
! pected at any time. officials. military
and naval men and diplomats az.
watching with keenest interest and
some anxiety the march OF the Ger
mans on to Petrograd. and Japan'S
apparent marking OF time respecting
Siberia.
lengthy cablegIam was received
before the Cabinet met from Roland
$. Morris. iiited States Ambassador
at Toxic. knowing this. some OH
cials predicted a lifting of the veil.
but at the State Department assur-
/ ance was given that the communica-
tion in no wise dealt with the Japan
ese plan Of intervention in Siberia.
nor with the informal representa- tious
OF this country in dissent thercfrom
Situation Discus.ed.
This assurance seemed to be borne
out by the fact that there was no
representative of the State Depart
ment present at the Cabinet meeting.
Routine matters il was stated, were
discussed there.
Advices from Russia are stin
fragmentary and incomplete. Here
and there are indications Of an
awakened interest among the Slavs
in the attitude OF the United States.
! and signs multiply.
Preparing for their coming opera
tions. Gen. Petshing reported. the
| Germans have been able TO obtaia
from the casualty lists published in
the United States information OF
value concerning the identity Of the
American units opposing them on
the Lorraine and other sectors.