Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-08-24
MILLION men
May Be WANTED
General Staff Prepares Plan
For Possible War with
Germany
QUOTA OF THE STATES
United States Army Officers Es'l'
mate il Would Take il Year to Sci
Troops Ready For Service


Washington. Aug. 24-One million
ahIe-bodied men, between the ages
Of IS and 45 years, will have to ne
called upon to volunteer if the Unit
cd States is forced into Il war with
Germany.
This is the minimum number when
officers of the General Staff and the
Army War College have decided
would he an initial requirement IL
The United States Government goes
into the war with any idea OF send
mr an army to Europe. The War Col
Icre has mapped out comprehensive
nlans for the organization. training
and mobilization Of the forces IN
clIdng those which might he sent
abroad and those which would he
kent in the states for defensive pur-
poses.
The plans arc said to he based upon
! theory that this country m'ght
send troops abroad to he used Win
,hc English forces somewhere On
Flanders" nr with the land forces nj
the nardancllcs.
The first step which would he taken
in the war movement would bc l"l
CONGRESS 20 authorize the President
ro issue n cali for volunteers. his
call would he issued ny the President
in the form of proclamation stat
ing briefly the reasons i"T Inc "a'
md ca,iinr rpcl. men :" volunteer
Under the law first preference" Wcu'H
n. ,r;vcn 10 the organized state NIL.
~, organizations which had u total
STRENGTH in 1919 nf 10000 officers
and men. or about G,0n0 hclow the
pcace strength prescribed for tho
organized militia. At wa" strength
,hcse organizations, II Is estimator
could he raised 70 approximately @oo
900. The state militia would hc call
.J on tn volunteer ny companies reg
imcuts or hrigades depending on
the extent to where they were scat
tered ut the time war WAS dccIarc"'
When the full Strength of the 'r-
ranized militia was complete, ne"
regiments of volunteers would he or
raniZed as rapidly as possible.
The volunteers and militia forces
would he mobiized first according I"
hrigadcs and then h. divisions. FOR
purposes Of peace organizations inc
War College has aIpcady divided the
country into II tactica divisions.
varvirr in size according TO density
of population. For example the S'Sth
division comprises New York State
alone whereas another division en-
braces practically; the states OF the
Southwest. Maryland is in the eIgh-
tn division. embracing Maryland. Del
aware. Virginia, West Virginia. and
the District Of Columbia. With l.
600. 600 men called to the coIOrS. these
divisions would ne sIIhdividcd so thai
New York State Tor example you'd
comprise three divisions Of $20,OOo
men each, or what would amount 10
field army.
According to the plans Of the War
Department the troops already
trained, including the regular army
and the oragnized militia would serve
as the first line Of defense. un~
der cover Of which volunteers would
he trained. Not until this training
! was well under way, it is believed
would any part Of the army embark
upon offensive operations.
it is planned to place at the head
{ Of each division a regular army Off.
cer and in other cases where trained
officers were needed there would he
a gene:al Interchange between the
officers Of the regular army and o.
the militia in such way as to get thf
greatest possible efficiency.