Salt Lake Herald-Republican | 1918-08-04 | Page 23 | No Estimate of Casualties Had Been Sent

NO ESTIMATE OF CASUALTIES HAS BEEN SENT General March l Misquoted l in Figures Prin Printed of Marne larne Battle Washington Aug Aup 3 WIddY Widely publIshed pub pub- shed reports today toda that Cenora had l toll told the Senate Sen Sen- en March chief of or start staff ha ate nto military committee General Per Per- hIng estimated the tho American casualties casual ties tIei In the Marno larno fI fighting at 1200 1000 the country country coun coun- not only grossly crossly misinformed try tn but caused consternation re regret 10 officials Bret gret among war department General March denied making an such statement and the senators confirmed confirmed confirmed con con- firmed his denial 1 Secretary Baker denounced the reports When hen the senators lIen sen asked General March If t ho he had hac tiny nn estimate of casualties In the Marn arne 11 fighting he sa said III he had not Later in his conference with correspondents corre corre- the chief of oC staff was asked Have you OU an any estimate as to th tho number ot of casualties ono None whatever ho replied S Not ot ot Fighting General M March and the senators e eXplaIned explained ex eX- he lie had been asked for tor total o of casualties s reported and had r replied between be be- between tween 1 and This tal takes take e nc rn account of the Marne l fighting General General Gen- Gen eral oral March's rop reply was distorted Into representing him as saying General Pershing estimated estimated- tho the cost of the thc Marno battle at that number General Pershing has been unable to tc estimate the number or begin sending the names because use tho the wounded arc aro scattered through h French and British hospitals and It has been physically impossible to a assemble an accurate and complete completo list lIsL At his conference today toda referring to Secretary Bakers Baker's statement of ot last night General March said Tho The casualty question I understood was to be he covered by the secretary ot of war ar and antI believe ho did sa say something about It General Perching Pershing replied to our order oner to send senti In all nIl casualties that the dela delay In sending them In was due duc to tho the fact that our men serving under the tho British and tho the French aswell as aswell aswell well as under our own commanders but that the casualties would be cabled as soon as the tho they had been completely verified You can well imagine how disastrous It would bo ho If tho the casualties were vere cabled and then corrections had to be made The distress would bo be beyond boond bo- bo yond ond aU all question and so these lists aro are going to come In and as soon Boon as ns the they do do come In th they will viii be bc given out whatever they the are arc Secretory Secretary linkers linker's Statement Secretary Baker Balcer In his talk to the correspondents said I 1 have be before foro me a copy of the Washington Times carrying a tL statement state state- ment mont that General Pershing estimates States casualties at and that to says that General March said the mill military tar affairs committee This Is not so General March said nothIng nothIng nothing noth noth- ing on tho the subject nor did I. I Nobody said anything on that subject or anything anything anything any any- thing like It that I can recall There was as a a. chart showing the to total total total to- to tal number of ot casualties In the American Amen Ameri c can n ar torce up to to the tho present pres present present pres pres- ent time of all kinds from all sources and that aggregated something like and that chart was shown shon but It had nothing whatever to do with casual casualties tics in tho the present drive