New-York tribune., 1918-07-28

and 2Sth Infantry; 9th, 9Th and 7th
Field Artillery.
Second division: Fifth and 9th Ma
rine Regiments; 9th and 23rd Infantry;
18th, 18th and 17th Field Artillery.
Third division: Fourth, 7th, 18th
end 30th Infantry; 10th, 18th and 26th
Field Artillery
Fourth division: Thirty ninth, 47th,
oSth and 59th Infantry, and 18th, 10th
and 77th Field Artillery.
Michigan Men in Vosges
General March said the 32d National
Guard Division, composed principally
OF Michigan troops and commanded by
Major General Haan, is now in the
Vosges on quiet sector.
Major General John Ruckman, re-
Gently commander of the Southern De-
partment, has been assigned to COM
mand the North Atlantic Coast Artil-
lery District. General March an
nounced.
In connection with the recent order
for organizing six new divisions the
chief of staff said it would be the
policy of the department to continue
organizing additional divisions as those
IN this country are sent abroad.
Summing up the battle situa ton on
the Aisne Marre front General March
said that it had resulted, according to
official advces, in forcing the Ger
mans back eleven miles further from
Paris and shortening the Allied line bv
ten miles.
General March's Statement
The principal portions of General
March's statement follow:
"The lines around the south of Sois-
sons are still in the same position thew
were last Wednesday, when talked to
you. The distance across from the
lines at scissors to those near Rheims
Is exactly as it was when our counter
offensive began.
"The general driving back of the
German forces has been toward the
centre of the salient. The falling back
has been on line which remains ap-
proximately perpendicular to the rail-
road line through Fere- en- -Tardenois.
There have been local attacks by the
Germans, particularly at Grisolles,
against the French, and at Epieds
against the United States forces
Epieds was taken and retaken by our
forces and the Germans four times
by successive counter attacks, but it
finally remained in American hands,
and though it delayed their advance
forward steadily.
Praises British Dash
"On the Marne, east of Dormans, the
progress of the Allied forces has been
difficult because the terrain there is
very difficult The hills are pre-
cipitous and the country is very heavily
wooded. The enemy's left flank south
west Of Rheims has been the scene of
very dashing little advance by Brit
lsh reinforcements, who went forward
one and half miles on four-mile
front. This advance is marked source
OF danger for the enemy, as, of course,
there is a chance OF his getting his
troops further south in a pocket, and
we already find that the French at that
point are beginning to advance.
The original line held by the Allies
before this big movement began was
seventy-four miles long. The present
line, on which the Germans are falling
back, is sixtyfour miles long. The
front has been reduced ten miles.
"The area won by the Allies in this
counter offensive more than equals
that won by the enemy in Flanders.
Foe Driven Back Eleven Miles
"Our lines have, now reached within
three and a half miles of Fere- Tar
denois, which is big German supply
depot near the railroad and afforded,
of course, a means of getting supplies
in and out. That point has been con-
tinuously and heavily shelled.
"The nearest point Of the German
line from Paris is now forty-nine miles.
The former distance was thirty-eight
miles. They have been driven back
eleven miles.
1.-TWO questions have come in" con-
tinued the Chief Of Staff, "asking a
number of detailed questions about the
number of enlisted men, minor details
about men available for the draft and
that sort of thing. 1t will be impos
sible for me to 60 into such details ex-
cept as an announcement OF policy. II
any unit as small as regiment dis