Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-08-25
ONE MILLION MEN
PREPAREDNESS FOR WAR
Plans Of General Staff for Possible
War With Germany.
MARYLAND'S QUOTA is $3.50.
Army Officers Estimate il Would Take
Year to Get Troops Ready for
Service.


ers that Be-" at Washington. but il is
the question being agitated in State
circles as we'll
One million able-bodied men. Ue-
tween the ages OF is and AZ years. viii
have 10 be called upon 10 volunteer If
the United States is forced into war
with Germany. This is the minimum
number which officers of the General
stan and the Army War College have
decided would be an initial require
ment If the United States government
goes into the war with any idea of
sending an army to Europe
The War College has mapped on
comprehensive plans for the organi-
zation. training and mobilization Of
the forces, including those which would
be kept in the States for defensive
purposes. The plans are said to be
based upon theory that this country
might send trops abroad to be used
with the English forces somewhere in
Flanders" or with the land forces at
the Dardanelles
All the preliminary work has been
done. The plans have been drawn and
are under lock and key in the Army
War College awaiting the call of the
President. The plans. army officers
declare. represent but a small part of
the work which would be involved.
If the United States went to war with
Germany. they declare. it would re-
quire at least a year to get these l.
10000 men in shape for service in the
field for active service.
OF this 100000 men. Maryland
would be required 10 supply about
$3.50 This $3.50 is about $500 more
than the number OF men and officers
Inowenrolled in the National Guard OF
the state, but nearly 19000 less than
the total number Of able-bodied men
in the State OF military age upon whom
the President, in time of peril, could
draw upon under the Constitution
In the United States, as a whole.
there are approximately 10000
men who would thus be available or
nearly the total number of men now
under arms in the European war The
FIRST step which would be taken would
DC for Congress to authorize the Pres
ident to issue call for volunteers
This call would be issued by the Pres
ident in the form of a proclamation
stating briefly the reasons for the war,
and calling upon men to volunteer.
Under the law first preference would
be given to the Organized State militia
organizations, which had a total
strength in 1914 Of 1-9. 400 officers anc
men. or about 5000 below the peace
strength prescribed for the organized
militia Of the States.
The State militia would be called on
10 volunteer by companies, regiments
or brigades, depending on the extent
to which they were scattered at the
time war was declared. When tie full
strength of the organized militia was
complete, new regiments of volunteers
would be organized rs rapidly as pos
gible. The volunteer and militia for
ces would be modified first accord
ing to brigades, and then by divisions.
For purposes Of peace organization
Jhe War College has already divided
the country into twelve divisions, vary
ing in size according to density of the
population
For example,th sixth division. com
prises New York State alone, whereas
another division embraces practically
all the states of the Southwest Mary
land IS in the eighth division, embrac-
ing Mel yland. Delaware, Virginia
West Virginia and the District of Co
lumbia With 100000 men called to
the colors. these divisions would be
subdivided so that New York State, for
example, would comprise three divis-
ions of 10000 men each,or what would
amount to-a field army.
The volunteer act passed by the last
Congress gives the appointment of the
officers to the President, by and with
the advice of the Senate. Under the
Army War College plans there is al
ready available IN the War Depart
ment a list of available men to serve
as officers. including men who have
had military training of one kind or
another and some service with the reg
ular army This list is large enough
to provide officers for an army of
250,000 men
For 100000 men officers would
have to be picked from the ranks of
the regular and military organizations
from West Point and from other mill
tary schools. Training would proceed
as rapidly as the forces could be got
together, the points of mobilization be-
ing selected with respect to railroad
facilities. army reservations being
used where possible TO. drill grounds.
The place of mobilization Of the Mary
land troops in case of war is being
kept profound secret.
According 10 the plans of the War
Department, the troops already train
ed, including the regular army and the
organized militia, would serve as the
FIRST line" Of defense, under the cover
of which volunteers would be trained
Not until this training was we'll under
way, it is believed. would any part OF
the army embark upon offensive oper-
ations. 1t IS planned to place at the
head of each division a regular army
officer and in other cases where train
ed officere were needed there would be
a general interchange between tn Off
GERS of the regular army and Of the
militia in such way as to get the great
est possible efficiency Aside from
training the soldiers. the plans of the
War Department for all the organiza-
tion Of commissiaries. ammunition