The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-08
DemObilizatiOn of Soldiers Is
Going On Very Fast.
March Says 1,442,000 Men Were
Ordered for Discharge.
236, 1874 BACK FROM FRANCE
100000 VIII Be Returned Dur
ing the Present Month.
1888 Casualties Reported Last
Week for the e. s.

Washington, Feb. s. General
March said today that rehabilitation
in the United States now was on the
"home stretch" Up to Friday a total
of 67,O3S officers and 1,033,S12 men
had been discharged, while the total
ordered for discharge had reached
1,442,000.
Up to January 1, 236,S24 men had
been returned from France. The de-
partment estimates that 100000 will
be returned in February. This is an
increase of $4,000 over the January
total, due largely to the .transforma-
ton of cargo vessels into transports.
General March said that fifty-one
cargo ships had been ordered convert
ed and that the first of these were now
coming into service.
For Divisional Parades.
Plans for divisional parades in home
cities have been upset by the irregular
flow of troops homeward. General
March said the units were returning in
such scattered form that in a great
! majority of cases it now seemed i'm
probable that divisional organizations
could be held together long enough for
/ large parades.
The department is dealing with this
question, however, as the divisions are
! ordered home. The 27th New York
national guard) division will be pa
raded in New York City and plans for
| parad ding the 42nd (Rainbow) division
/ on it's return in Washington General
March thought would be carried out.
| Wherever opportunity offers for 9TH
| er division parades advantage will be
| taken of it.
The demobilization machinery is
now at such point of efficiency and
| operation, the chief of staff explained.
! that it is capable of handling more
men than Pershing can possibly send.
with available shipping. OF the troops
| h.. J, I'D
detachments which must be main
tained for future rehabilitation of re-
| turning units will be left.
The Casualty Reports.
| Last weeks casualty report showing
more than 10, 900 of the eXpeditionary
: force has been corrected to make the
total 1888. General March said today
/ new total with the information thai
the figures were being reduced b.
| from one hundred to two hundred
| names per day, as a result of the
checking of the records in the cen
trail records office in France.
At the same time General Pershine
gave the war department new total!
of casualties in the First and Second
divisions, the marine brigade in the
latter being included. The First di.
vision had a total of killed, died o.
wounds, missing and prisoners of 5,24S
Inc second divisions S total was 5,26O
The greatest military camp in the
world will be established at Bres
when plans for extension of embarka
ton facilities there have been com
pieted. General March said Bres
would be the backbone of the Ameri
can demobil1zation system. 1t al
ready has handled 81 per cent of the
soldiers sent back to the United State.
up to date. Its capacity for $4,000 mer
is doubled.
The war department has not beer
advised that negotiations for German
liners to carry home American troop
have been concluded. No definit
estimates as to the ships which will
be obtained, the time when they will
be available, or their carrying capac
! ity are now at hand. An increasin,
number of officers are applying TO
commissions in the army reserve corp
and for comm .sSionS in the regula
army. More than 5000 officers hav
applied for reserve commissions an,
5,913 are seeking commissions in tn
permanent force.
New casualty totals for the Firs
and Second Divisions were given a
follows:
First Division: Killed in action
1903; died of wounds, 1.050: missin
in action, 1,7S9; prisoners, LOG. Tota
!, SPAS.
: Second Division: Killed in actor
2,T16; died of wounds, 1929; missin
in action 1867; prisoners 14S Tota
$500