ROIE OF AMERICAN FORCES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16850, 15 May 1918, Page 7

ROIE OF AMERICAN FORCES

IMMEDIATE OR LATER USE.

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 6.30 pan.) WASHINGTON, May 13.

Earl Reading has not received any confirmation of a report from Ottawa of a message from the War Cabinet to the effect that the allies will cease brigading Americans with the British and French, but will wait until the Americans are able to form their own armies.

Earl Reading states that he doubts the accuracy of the announcement attributed to the Cabinet.®

Military officials rejoice at the allies' decision not to use American troops in large numbers until the Americans are ready to strike as a powerful, self-sup-porting army. Mr. N. D. Baker, Secretary for War, stated that the American forces in Franc* would be actively- engaged in battle now and regularly in future.

A message received in the United States from Ottawa is evidently an extract from the weekly summary of the war situation issued by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, identical with that published in Monday's Herald. The passage states: "The Entente are so confident that, given the choice of a small immediate American army for Hefence or waiting until reinforced by a complete, powerful, self-supporting American army, they have chosen the latter."