Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-02-04
GOVERNOR ALLEN ATTACKS WAR DEPT
 CASUALTY LIST
Would Have Us Forget
 Maimed and Crippled.
COMPARES 35TH WITH
 OTHER DIVISIONS
Claims There Were More Than 5,OOO
 Wounded in Addition to Report.

Topeka, Kans., Feb. 3.-In a state ment issued tonight commenting upon the figures given out by General Pey ton c. March, chief of staff, Saturday, regarding major casualties, Governor Henry J. Allen, charged that the war department is "evasive and vague" He also charged that the war depart- ment "knew when it issued the state ment + * + that uninformed peopl', would conclude that this was a full statement of the casualties"
 | "The war department" says the statement, would have us forget the thousands of maimed and crippled, a few of whom are now coming home but many of whom are suffering in the hospitals of France.
 1t has attempted to divert atten- 1 tion to the fact that the dead and missing in the 35th division are only 1,733' and that this division suffered less than some other divisions. Why was it not frank in saying that this division lost practically all of these 1,733 in one engagement, while other divisions with which it compares tre 35th were in several heavy engage IlCIlLS w Ay u.t2 CllS QSNbI JlOE5' lect to mention that in addition to these 1,733, more than 5.000 wounded were in the casualty list of the 33tll division9"
 Lack of Protection.
 Governor Allen again charged that the losses were due to lack of aerial protection, shortage of transportation and otl CT inadequacies of nla:llnery
 The Governors statement refers tc the report of the division officer in charge of the triage of the 35th div ision, stating that it reveals that G.; 301 wounded men passed through his triage nearly 5000 of whom were from the 35th division. This officer, the statement says, states that the transportation was so limited that, without waiting for ambulances, trucks belonging to other divisions and to the French were used to eva cuate wounded men of the 18th divis- ion straight through from the advance dressing stations to the evacuation hospitals without passing through the Both division triage. This report. the statement further says, states that the unexpectedly heavy rush of cas- ualties made it necessary for men to lie upon the ground in the mud with out filters or blankets and that the unexpected shortage shortage of transportation made it impossible to triage all the men, hence the report of nearly 5000 does not include them iall.
 Casualties Heavy.
 "All citizens of the country realize that heavy casualties were inevitable and the report which is gradually being uncovered reveils the fact that our gloomiest expectations were more than realibed." The governor sad in conclusion. "I believe that thousands of men were lost because there was lack of protection in the air, shortage of transportation, which would have made effective artillery support pos sible at all stages of the battle. and other inadequacies of machinery which sent the American army into that gloomy forest fighting the best equipped army in the world with little except infantry arms.
 "These facts are well known at Washington and are well known to officers and men who are coming home. There is no reason for any con
 troversy over facts. The country is entitled -r0 the truth. Why does the war department withhold it?"