New-York tribune., 1918-08-01
Sole Aim Now
Is AnnihilaHon,
Says Gen. March
Continued from page

tlona Army, will be abandoned. In the
same connection General March an
nounced that the twelve major generals
and the thirty-six brigadiers necessary
for the new divisions will be selected
from all elements of the service
This statement was taken to mean
that both National Guard and National
Army officers hereafter will be eligible
for promotion to the rank of general
officers, even in regular army divisions.
In response to a question General
March said that where division com
mander was selected to be a temporary
corps commander the command of his
division passed to the senior brigadier.
General March had nothing to reveal
concerning the extent of the casualties
suffered by the American forces in the
recent fighting. He said, however. that
General Pcrshing had been ordered to
cable his casualties as received and
that these would he given out here at
once. He added that there would be
no distribution of casualties over a
long period hereafter
Secretary Baker Explains
Secretary Baker later explained the
purpose Of the untication plan an
nounced by The chief of staff. The
principal reason, he said. is to obtain
more perfect coordination within the
army through making it possible to
transfer officers and men rapidly from
one regiment, brigade or division to an
other without reference to the original
composition of the unit.
Subsidiary reasons arc to prevent
further speculation on the part Of
French or British officers concerning
the military difference existing be-
tween captain who wore the insignia
~. S. on his collar and a captain who
wore "U. S. N. A
The impression also has existed in
each OF the subdivisions, Mr.. Baker
SAID. that promotion was more rapid in
the others. Now all officers will be on
the same footing so far as their tenn
porary rank is concerned. The regulars,
however, will retain their places in the
permanent list, as fixed by law.
No Bag Expected
The principal portion of General
March's statement follows:
"Whatever the enemy's objective was
at the start of the drive and whatever
our hope was in the counter offensive
on the flank Of this salient, it is now
perfectly evident that those aims have
been set aside The objective of each
army is the other army; each one of
them wants to kill as many of the
other as possible
"The holding back Of the jaws by
the Germans at scissors and near
Rheims, has made it practically i'm
possible for us to expect a bag. They
have had two weeks now to withdraw
from the dangerous points down near
the Marne and the objective of each
army is the other army. During the
last few days the American forces on
that salient have been increased by
the arrival Of the Forty y-second Divi-
sion, which is taking part in the fight
ing near Fere-en-T Tardenois and Sergy.
The American division in the vicinity
of Roncheres and Cierges is our Third
Division.
Six New Divisions
81 have ordered the formation Of
six new American divisions in the
United States. They will be numbered
from Hlleeu TO twenty ana VIII De
organized at Camp Logan, Kearney,
Beauregard, Travis, Dodge and SEWER
These divisions will have as nucleus,
as the six divisions organized last
month did, two regular infantry regi-
ments following the policy of the War
Department to replace, as far as pos
sible, every soldier at home who is
fit for service abroad with the home
guards of men of limited service. The
regular regiments referred to will be
the nucleus of these divisions.
"Following out the same policy, we
have ordered the transfer from the
cavalry to the field artillery arm of
the service of fifteen National Army
cavalry regiments, numbered from 301
to 3l5. These men have been in the
United States for some time and have
had a good deal of training and are
now going to be utilized for service
abroad. These regiments will form
part Of the field artillery for the new
divisions now being organized"