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Show MAJOR GENERAL C. G. TREAT, who is said to have been selected to command com-mand American troops in Italy. I - 4 , f Vfr 4 ji -bi II -ft fTV , f ; x 4 GENERAL TREAT TO COIIil ITALY Name of First American Regiment Sent to Piave Front Kept Secret. By MATTHEW F. TIGHE, Staff Correspondent Universal Service. WASHINGTON. July 28. The war department de-partment today stated that for the present pres-ent the identity of the first American regiment to reach Italy and be brigaded with Italian lorces must be withheld. The opinion is general here, however, that this regiment soon will be joined by other American units and when the number of troops reaches a strength which would permit of taking over a sector of the Italian front, the force will be placed under un-der the command of Major General C. G. Treat, now en route to Italy to take charge of the American mission in Italy. He is taking the place of Major General Hben Swift, who soon will return to Washington. The regiment now in Italy is one of those which arrived in France several months ago and underwent intensive training train-ing under French tutors. It is said that one of the reasons for selecting them for the honor of leading the other American troops to the mountain line held by the Italians was the excellence of their ma-1 ma-1 chine gun battalions. Until the situation clears perceptibly in (France. It is not thought that many more American troops will go to Italy from there. In some quarters it is said that the larger share of the reinforcements which General Pershing will dispatch will not move before early spring. No secret is made of the fact that the American ' general staff plans to give the army 'on the Italian front a share of America's assistance comparable with the aid which was sent to the western front. As yet there is no reason to believe that Americans Amer-icans will join in operations on the Balkan Bal-kan front, as it is believed that, given the equipment, the Greek forces will be ample to meet the requirements of the campaign which undoubtedly will be undertaken un-dertaken on the Albania front in the spring. ROME, July -8. The newspapers today to-day prominently display announcement of the arrival of America n troops at a point behind the Italian front. The Americans Amer-icans were enthusiastically greeted everywhere ev-erywhere along the route, patriotic associations asso-ciations turning out with hands. |