The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1916-06-03
ARMY PLANS TOLD
BY WAR COLLEGE
How Troops Would Be MObiI-
lied In Case Of War.
NEED INTENSIVE TRAINING.
Division Of Army General staff Pre-.
pares Paper Approved by War De.
partment-First Line Army Should
Consist Of 100000 Trained Troops,
Supported by Half Million Unframed.


Supported byNHalf Million Unframed.
The organization. training and mo-
bilization OF the militia and volunteer
forces Of the United States are the sub.
jet of paper prepared by the war
college division OF the general stan Of
the army and approved by the war de-
partment. IL shows that mobilization
points and depots in all the states have
been selected and says that well di-
gested systems OF intensive training
FOR new troops" have been prepared
The document tells exactly the pro-
cedure that will be followed In the
raising Of volunteer troops, the officer
Ing Of them and numerous other de-
tails that at this time. owing 20 inter
national affairs. are OF interest TO all
men who might be called into service
in the event OF war
Under existing laws" says the pa
per- land under conditions contempt
raneous Herewith It has heretofore
! been assumed that In the event OF a
war with n first class power the Unit
ed States would require not less than
half a million men for the first line.
behind which could be prepared the
greater army OF citizen soldiers upon
whom our main reliance for national
defense Is additionally placed.
100000 For First Line Army.
According 20 the recommendations
of the war college division of the gen
eral stan. the first line should now con.
sist OF half a million fully trained
troops, composed Of the regular army
and the reserve, which has been train
cd by service in the regular army, sup
ported 10y an additional force OF fully
half million citizen soldiers, prepared
10 take the field Immediately on the
outbreak OF war. who should have had
sufficient previous military training TO
enable them 20 meet a trained enemy
within three months
AT the present time the regular
army nc home could perhaps be OK
panded 10 about 100000 men by the
addition OF n large proportion Of re-
crults, and there would still be required
for our first line about 100000 citizen
soldiers, This combined force would
bc insuiIiciently trained.
"rhe existing organized militia, II
expanded 10 war strength. would fur
nish some 10000 men, but these
would not bc available for all national
purposes. To insure the entire control
by the federal government over the re-
quircd additional forces and the EN-
ploymcnt OF such forces wherever the
interests OF the nation may require,
they must bee enrolled as federal troops.
either as regulars or MS volunteers
The war college paper then discusses
the relation OF the organized militia "a
the volunteers and points out some OF
the difficulties that will have 10 be
overcome The rcmcdtmg Of these de-.
fects in the present militia law Is one
OF the objects that the army bill soon
60 pass congress. Is expected 10 effect
In discussing the raising Of volunteer
forces the war college states
Raising OF Volunteer Forces
"Noluntecr forces may be raised or
ganlzcd aud maintained only during
tho existence or immncncc Of war and
only after congress shall have author
lied the president 90 raise such forces
Congress could however. by legislative |
enactment authorize the president To !
raise such forces in time of peace.
"Thc term OF enlistment viii be the |
same as that for the regular army ex.
elusive OF reserve periods.
mo person will be enlisted i'm tho |
volunteer forces or mustered as an en-.
listed man into said forces who Is not |
effective and ablcbodied or who IS un- /
der eighteen or over thrty-hve years OF |
age or who Is unable TO speak the Eng. |
fish language, except that the superior |
age limit OF thirty-hve years Is not ap- |
plicablc 10 those members Of the en-.
listed personnel OF a company. troop. /
battery. battalion or regiment Of duly |
organized land militia who volunteer |
and are accepted as n part OF the or
ganzatiOn to which they belong II said |
organization be accepted as suck for
service IN the volunteer forces. nor IL |
It applicable TO the rc-enlistment In the
volunteer forces or the muster into /
SAID forces OF man who has had prior [
enlisted service either In the regular or
volunteer forces Of the United States
'Thc pay allowances and pensions
for all officers and enlisted men Of the
volunteers will IN the event OF war be
the same as those provided FOR the cor.
responding grades ~ the regular army
Under our traditional policy OF rely
ing principally for national defense
upon citizen soldiers the larger part OF
our land forces VIII not be fully train.
cd nc the outbreak OF the war II II
more than probable that we shall have
60 employ sumo Of them with little
no training ns soon rs they can lie as-
sembled In suitable units How
much time viii be available Il X impos
sible to predict. II Is reasonable To- MS
sumo. however. that In the event ~
..sNg a. n al I