New-York tribune., 1918-09-08
Every Hospital Case Will
Be Listed Under New
Army Regulations
To Give Full Details
Supplement to Pershing's Re-
ports to Relieve Anxiety of
People at Home
Especial Dispatch to The Tr,bmns)

WASHINGTON, Sept. Tn an
nouncing that 10000 American soldiers,
not previously reported by General
Pershing, have been slightly wounded
in action up to August 20, Chief Of
Staff March to-day gave assurance that
hereafter detailed accounts of every
casualty in the overseas forces would
be announced from time to time by the
War Department.
The 10000 casualties, General March
whose injuries were listed by the medi-
cal officers as light--"men who have
gone to the hospitals and gone back
again to the line"-but because inde-
pendent notice in many cases has been
forwarded by the soldiers themselves
to relatives, the new system Of an
nouncing all casualties, trivial and Sc
we're, was decided upon.
Reports of all hospital cases in the
future are to be sent to the War De-
partment by special courier and details
OF the medical diagnosis in each case
will be transmitted to the relatives of
the wounded soldiers.
General March SAID:
There has been some discussion in
the United States about our casualty
lists, and the War Department has
been trying to get in touch with the
exact condition OF casualties in France,
because We have heard from a number
of sources Of relatives at home re-
ceivlng the information direct from
their people in France Of men being
of casualty lists General Pershing
asked for authority not to report slight
casualties, because the men would be
back on the firing line before the re-
port, after investigation, could reach
then that it would simplify matters
and prevent needless worry to relatives
II that system were adopted.
"Of course. it is very we'll understood
that the opinion of a man who has been
wounded may differ materially from the
opinion OF the doctors as to its sever
ity, and undoubtedly great many mer
have written home telling about woura as
that the doctors had pronounced light
and which Pershing had listed as no,
being severe, when the letters might
indicate to the people at home that the,
were severe.
ASO nave EOltcl a report from Len
eral Pershing as to the number Of those
casualties, in addition to those which
ne has published, so as to be able tx
/ give the facts to the American people
am giving the facts to the people be
cause know they will face any cas-
ualty list with determination and cour
age, whatever it is.
wounded when the War Department,
had not notified the relatives
at an early stage in the reporting
General Pershing reports that up t(
August 20 there were 10000 cnsuatins
which he had not reported, which were
listed by the doctors AZ light-men who
have gone to hospitals and back to the
! line, and that sort of thing. But ir
/ order to meet what I think to be the
just demands Of the people at home fol
information about their relatives ir
France, Pm going to have General Per
shing forward by courier to US here tn,
entire hospital records of the A. L. f.
giving all casualties, no matter if g
man is in a hospital only a day, with g
medical diagnosis of each case; ano
then | propose to put in the hands OF
the relatives, after the arrival of the
first courier with such records, state
ment of the diagnosis.
We will then suspend on the part OF