The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-05-09
ARMY PLANS TOLD
BY WAR COLLEGE
How Troops Would Be MOblI-
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 Hall Million Unframed.

partment-First Line Army Should
Consist Of 100000 Trained Troops,
Supported by Half Million Unframed.
The organization, training and mo-
bilization Of the militia and volunteer
forces Of the United States are the sub
1ect of a paper prepared by the war
college division Of the general staff Of
the army and approved by the war de-
partment. 1t 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 to 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 contempo-
raneous herewith 1t has heretofore
been assumed that in the event of a
war with a first class power the Unit
ed States would require not less than
| half 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 traditionally placed.
100000 For First Line Army.
According to the recommendations
of the war college division of the gen.
eral staff, 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
ed by service in the regular army, sup
ported by an additional force of fully
half a million citizen soldiers, prepared
to take the field Immediately on the
outbreak of war, who should have had
sufficient previous military training to
enable them to meet a trained enemy
within three months
"At the present time the regular
army at home could perhaps be ex-
panded to about 100000 men by the
addition of a large proportion of re-
cruits, and there would still be required
for our first line about 100000 citizen
soldiers. This combined force would
be insufficiently trained.
'The existing organized militia, If
expanded to war strength, would fur
nish some 2S0,000 men, but these
would not be available for all national
purposes. To insure the entire control
4, by the federal government over the re-
uuired additional forces and the EN-
ployment of such forces wherever the
interests of the nation may require
+ they must be enrolled as federal troops
either as regulars or as volunteers"
: The war college paper then discusses
the relation of the organized militia to
!. the volunteers and points out some OF
: the difficulties that will have to be
overcome. The remedying of these de
fects in the present militia law is one
of the objects that the army bill, soor
u to pass congress, is expected TO effect
l. In discussing the raising of volunteer
}, forces the war college states:
Raising of Volunteer Forces.
volunteer forces may be raised, or
n ganized and maintained only during
the existence or imminence of war anc
8 only after congress shall have author
q lied the president to raise such forces
N Congress could, however, by Legislative
- enactment authorize the president Il
raise such forces in time of peace.
{ 1.-The term of enlistment will be thu
% same as that for the regular army ex
2 elusive of reserve periods.
mo person will be enlisted in th'
volunteer forces or mustered as an en-
listed man into said forces who is no
effective and ablebodied or who is un
der eighteen or over thirty-tive years o
- age or who is unable to speak the Eng
lsh language except that the superio
age limit of thirty-hve years is not ap
plicable to those members of the en
listed personnel of company troop
battery, battalion or regiment OF dul.
organized land militia who voluntee
Ell and are accepted as part OF the OF
en- ganization. to which they belong II SAT-
ol organization be accepted as such 10
if service in the volunteer forces, nor l
of it applicable to the re-enlistment III IN
20 volunteer forces OF Iuc uuStSA ~
- said forces of a man who has had pro
enlisted service either in the regular o
IT. volunteer forces of the United states
'ly "The pay. allowances and pension
ng for all officers and enlisted men OF Tn
ad volunteers viii in the event OF war .
,at the same as those provided for the col
ara responding grades of the regular arm!
= "Under our traditional policy OF rely
nc az, ing principally for national defens
De- upon citizen soldiers the larger part
our land forces will not be fully tran
of ed at the outbreak Of the war. 1t
ev- more than probable that we shall haV
gb. to employ some Of them with little
to+ no training as soon as they can be a
-, sembled in suitable units. Ho
NC much time wiz be available it is impo
lss sible TO predict. 1t is reasonable to a
aw sume however. that in the event
ck- war with an oversee enemy 1t will
as the time required for our enemy TO e
,,;u 30 bIiel ot lpgst n partial control or II