Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-07-07

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Photo by American Press Association
BROADER GENERAL ALBERT L. MILLS,
CHIEF OF DIVISION OF MILITIA AFFAIRS,
UNITED STATES ARMY.
Ii to a war strength it could be done
in a short time, its officers declare, and
the troops could be modified rapidly.
Ohio, Illinois and Massachusetts are
pretty close together for the honor Of
third place in numerical strength as
regards their militia forces. Ohio has
on its peace footing 400 officers and
5,637 men, Illinois has sos officers and
5,447 men, and Massachusetts has 424
officers and $500 men. In efficiency
Ohio is accorded third place, after New
York and Pennsylvania.
Full Division From New York.
According to a new mobilization plan
approved by the war department New
York state would be expected to pro-
vide a full division of troops to be mo-
bilized at Staten Island.
The New York troops would be the
Sixth division of the army and would
be divided into nine regiments Of In
fantry, one of cavalry, two regiments
of field artillery, one battalion of en-
g~ineers, 3,619 coast artillerymen and
one battalion of signal troops, In adj
dition to the quota of sanitary troops.
Each infantry reglmehx1soofd nu-
Der about 1,S00 men, while the cavalry
regiment would number 1,252 men.
The total of the division would be
25,251.
In a general way it is realized that
the efficiency of the Sixth division is
higher than any other of the militia
divisions. but it may not be known to
the public that New York state has
completed the organization of all the
units constituting a tactical division
and that the division instruction and
training have proceeded during recent
years in such effective manner that this
division Is, In fact, a military machine,
with the officers schooled and instruct
ed not only in the technique of their
own arm, but also in the duties and
obligations of that arm to the infan-
try, which is the backbone and main
strength of an army.
When the Sixth division comes to be
modified every arm of the service will
be shown in action; the activities Of
the ambulance companies in establish
ing dressing stations, bandaging vari-
GUS types of wounds and transporting
the injured; the field hospitals will set
up their field hospital, with its operat-
ing ROOM, and also their hospitals for
the reception, care and forwarding of
the wounded; the field bakery of the
division will give a demonstration of
setting up its field bakery section and
baking bread for the troops, while the
division trains will illustrate facility
of Movement and driving ability.
A battery of light artillery will show
the mobility of the modern field artil-
lery material and the rapidity of fire
of the new three inch rapid fire gun
with which it is armed. All the bat
teries of the New York division are
equipped with the latest model rapid
fire, long recoil field artillery gun.
A pioneer company will lay and X
plode land mines for protecting the
trenches sfrom assault and prepare,
throw and explode hand grenades load
ed with the new and powerful ex-
plosive invented by Captain Wood
ward of the New York corps of engi-
neers and known as ''trotol." The sig
nal battalion will illustrate the rapid
ity with which a wireless station may
be set up and communication estab-
lished with distant points. The S Of
reel carts, semaphore, flag signals and
Telegraph will be demonstrated.
The only other state which would
be called upon to provide a complete
division would be Pennsylvania, which
would supply 21,632 men, to mobilize
at Mount Gretna. The third largest
number of men from a state would
represent Illinois, which is scheduled
for 14,254, while Ohio, the fourth state,
would be called upon to mobilize 1898
at Columbus.
The divisions are numbered from
8 to 16 and are so arranged that adj
jacent states are included in the same
divisions. The first four divisions would
In the event of trouble be organized
with the regular army as the backbone
and would represent all of the states
pf the Union.