Evening journal., 1916-07-03
ALL militia READY
FOR service JULY Il
War Department Says Mob
ilization Would Do Credit
TO European Power
ARE PLEASED
WITH RESULTS

indorsing the many criticisms of the
militia mobilization which are ap-
pearing the War Department takes
the view that matters are progressing
smoothly and speedily.
II is expected that the mobilization
OF the National Guard will be COM
pleted within month from June 81,
the day when it was ordered by Presi-
dent Wilson. Officials Of the War De-
partment insisted that getting $4,000
militia troops ready for service on
the border in that time was in itself
a task which would do credit to any
of the European war STATS.
II was a far more difficult task, they
added, to get men from civilian life
into shape for military service along
the proportions stipulated by the Ma
tional Guard mobilization than to
mobilize regular troops. as the Euro
pean Powers did at the outbreak OF
the war
Great Britain required a month to
get 100000 regular troops with neces-
sary equipment into Flanders when
the war broke out, army officers ex-
planned today II now requires week
for the German army to move one
army corps Of 10000 from one front
to the other. which is a distance OF
450 miles, while in the American
mobilization troops in some instances
will be required to go nearly 1900
miles to their destination.
Contrast With Spanish War
In a general way War Department
officials say they are now assured that
there will be no shortage of equipment,
no shortage of ammunition and that ar
tillery and machine guns will be pro-
vided as soon as personnel can be train
ed to use them. All signs point to a
striking contrast between conditions
which the War Department is now en-
countering and conditions which were
found to exist at the outset of the
Spanish war.
By way Of illustration one staff Off
Ger said that he remembered having
seen 500 freight cars waiting idle at
Tampa, Fla. at the beginning of the
Spanish American war, because no one
knew where they were to go or what
was to be done with the supplies they
contained
There is no sign of any such con-
fusion now" he added In fact. sup.
plies are moving with regularity in
practically all cases, and reports from
all parts Of the country show satisfac-
tory progress"
The manner in which the railroads
are cooperating with the War Depart
ment is also commended al the War De
partment and there are said to be sew
eral instances 10 which troops fully
equipped have got away sooner than ex
pected
Because secret agents of Carrsnza are
understood to be closely watching the
progress Of the mobilization to the hor
der the War Department has decided
not to make public any detailed infor'
nation which might show Just how
many men are reaching there or in what
measure the first phases of the mobili-
zation are being sucoessively carried
out. Secretary Baker announces that
orders have been sent TO department
army commanders to suppress news con
cerning troop movements.
Enough Machine Guns.
Oficials at the War Department
eaid there was a sufficient supply OF
machine guns for the regular army
and the militia trained to use them
efficiently. One of the lessons Of the
European war has been to demon
strate the great value Of the machine
gun and to initiate an enormous in
crease in the number OF these
weapons.
The same holds good in regard tc
artillery. II is explained. Before the
war the ratio of artillery for troops
in the field was about per cent. oi
the force. Now II has been more thar
doubled as a result of the last two
years fighting in Europe. The sup
ply which the United States army cal.
culated il would need with respect
to artillery equipment was on the ole
3 per cent basis. but measures have
been already taken to put the Ameri
can forces on the basis Of the thor
oughly equipped European armies
In case OF hostilities in Mexico
there would be sufficient artillery fol
the style of campaign in which th'
troops would be expected to engage
Il is declared. but in the meantime
q rapid increase in artillery and ma
chine guns would be the persisten
policy of the army.
The increases in the number Of ma
chine guns which the Europeal
armies have been using in the field. i
said to be one OF the most surpris
ing lessons of the war. Reports
show that the Germans on the Rus
sian front have used one machine gu
10 every twenty men. There is, o
course. no such abundant supply O
machine guns available in the Unite
States army.
While officials at the War Depart