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Show PERSHING 1Y TAKE !' ACMJ1T 500'i : 1 Part of Force Regarded as Fully Trained; Statement Attributed to Wilson. j '. i WASHINGTON, dan. 23. While de-din- ing to comment directly upon the statement state-ment attributed to President Wilson, that there will be twice as many American Ameri-can sol iiers abroad next June as had been originally planned. Secretary liaker said today: J "The programme of the department has been a constantly developing one, and j many difficulties and limitations have been removed or overcome. I cannot discuss dis-cuss numbers of men in France or anticipated an-ticipated to be in France at any particular particu-lar time, but we have made substantial progress. ' Wh.cn General Pershing sent his first battalions into the tranches with veteran French troops, formal announcement of . the fat was made here, coupled with the explanation that these units were rounding round-ing out their training coarse. A similar announcement, either directly from General Gen-eral Pershing or from the- department, is expected when American troops finally take over whatever sector of the battle lines they are destined to fight in. Recent press dispatches from General Pershing's headquarters have shown that a considerable part of his forces, at any rate, was now regarded as fully trained. The war department 'has iiad little to say on this subject. There have been no hints dropped as to when the American Ameri-can front would be established, but the impression is gaining strength here that the day is not far distant. |