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Show American Troops in Europe Now Exceed 1,200,000. HE A V Y FIGHTING Gains of Franco-American Forces Are Con-tad. Con-tad. WASHINGTON, July 20. Official reports to the war department General Gen-eral March told newspapermen today showed a maximum penetration by the Franco-American counter-attack of ten miles and average penetration of seven miles on a twenty-two mile front-, ,,rr Allied opinion, Gorroral-iviarch said," is unanimous that tho German movement move-ment has been completely stopped. Tho Franco -American offensive "will I continue as long as it Is possible to forco tho Germans back, General March stated. General March told tho senators also that the Gormans had been preparing for an offensive against the British to the north of the western battle front to be simultaneous with their las? offensivo of-fensivo against the Franco-American front For some reason, General March stated, the drive against tho British was postponed and that is the probable explanation given for tho British policy pol-icy of not attacking tho Germans while tho French and Americans are engaged engag-ed in their offensive. The attack is still being pressed, he said, against heavy German reserves. American Divisions in Fight. Tho American troops engaged on ill i o uuut uiu uui; riioi, juuuf X nil l and Fourth regular divisions and the 26th (New England) and 2Sth (Pennsylvania) (Pen-nsylvania) national guard. Tho 42 national na-tional guard (Rainbow) is stationed in tho Champagne region. An unattached regiment of negro troops from tho Ninety-third national army division is in e,ach sector. Fighting Army Passes 1,200,000 Mark. During his. interview General March disclosed the fact that the embarkation embarka-tion of American troops has passed the 1,200,000 mark. Tho war department has no advices that tho city of Soissons has fallen, but it Is known to be under a heavy firo from American artillery and its fall seems imminent General March said tho objective of tho Franco-American counter-attack was tho Soissons-Chateau Thierry railroad, which the allied command has reason to believe is the principal artery of supply for tho enemy In the Chateau Thierry region and also one of tho principal sources for the sector south of tho Marne. The French and American forces either are already on this road or have It well under direct shell flro of their artillery. Tho chief of staff pointed out that with this railroad in allied control the Gorman withdrawal from tho sector south of the Marne would be rendered difficult and their main railway line to tho rear would be lost. Ho indicated that an attempt to withdraw is anticipated. antici-pated. Germans Planned a "Nut Cracker." Tho latest German drivo was intended intend-ed as a "nut cracker" operation against tho city of Rheims, General March said. This drive had been definitely stopped when General Foch struck on the right flank of tho German effort after tho enemy had advanced four to flvo miles on a twenty-three mile front Official advices confirm the report that a French corps in which American Ameri-can divisions were operating had cap- tured 17,000 prisoners and guns and material "in very helpful amounts." No Casualty List Issued. No report on casualties among the Americans engaged has reached the war department The six American divisions operating operat-ing on the Aisno-Marno front are operating op-erating as divisions and not as a corps, General March said. Their location from day to day depends upon the developments de-velopments in the battle. General March said tho Illinois national na-tional guard division, commanded by Major-General Georgo Bell, Jr., was in the English, training sector. A unit of this division last week co-operated with the Australians in a successful advanco already reported. Tho Seventy-seventh national army division, composed largely oi wew jersey jer-sey troops but; including New York and Delaware men, is in line near Lune-vllle. Lune-vllle. It is operating as a division under its own commander. Splendid Defense Organizations. Tho successful defense of Rheims against tho enemy, General March attributed at-tributed to the splendid defense organizations or-ganizations perfected there by the French forces. He described the city as prepared for a "house to house defense." de-fense." Tho region thoro was commanded by General Gouraud, and General March characterized him as ono of tho most striking personalities among the allied milltiry leaders. General Gouraud, Gou-raud, ho said, is about 50 years old and has beenV'shot up" all over the world, wearing chevrons to show that he had been wounded flvo times and his troops would be inspired by General Gen-eral Gouraud to "die where they are" rather than give way before the enemy. In explaining the number of American Amer-ican troops involved, General March said that tho American division had a strength of 27,000 combatant troops but with its auxiliary arms each reached reach-ed a total strength of 45,000 men. Tho extent to which tho auxiliary divisional units are present with their division in the fighting is not known. |