The Delta independent., 1917-06-01
Building Up the Army.


maintaining today.
Building Up the Army.
A regiment of regular infantry, for
instance, will be split into three bat
talions, and with each battalion as
nucleus. a new regiment will be con-
structed. Taking it on the three-bat-
talon basis there will be two battal-
lions of recruits to one of veterans in
the new organizations.
OF course this proportion will not
run through the entire army, but 1t
will come pretty close to so doing.
because virtually 100000 men Will
have been added to the standing force,
which at the beginning consisted of
only about 100000 men.
1t can be seen, therefore, readily
enough that regiment of National
Guardsmen which has seen service on
the border and which has been kept
intact in spirit, in discipline and in
drill, will for Its main part be in bet
ter trim for front service than a reg
iment of regulars two-thirds of whom
are now in the business.
OF course the regular-army men will
tHe VI given
by officers of long, hard service. The
recruits in the course of few months
will attain the standard of their COM
panion regulars. and the new regi
ments in trim and efficiency will be
equal to the organizations as they ex-
listed before being split up into small
units about which to build up new for
nations.
Russia and American Help.
1t is only in the most general way
probably that the commission to
Russia of which Elihu Root is
the chief was given instructions. The
members have, of course, guiding
principle, but they will be moved to
this course or to that by conditions as
they exist in Russia.
With American engineers on their
way to Russia and with this other
commission of pleading and instruc-
ton" starting on its way, Washington
Is looking half fearfully, half hopeful
ly to the future. What is TO be ac-
complished by American effort in the
Land of Doubtf
II is known definitely that the rock
on which the chief structure of hope
of success Is founded is that which Will
bear up strongly the direct statements
of the Americans that no democracy
with hope for its future as a demo-
cratic state can afford to break faith
with other democracies and to make
terms with despottsm.
Everything which has come to the
officials in Washington from Russia
bears out first belief that the masses
of the people of the new republic do
not understand the situation as 1t Is
related specifically to conflict be-
tween democracy and autocracy.
American socialists have told Ameri-
can nonsocialists that millions of Rus
slams see simply in the present stu
ntion chance to secure peace for
themselves and thereby to help In the
securing of permanent peace for
the whole world.
Russian Masses Must Be Taught
There Is the blackness of ignorance
throughout a great part of Russia and
for it the former czar and his men and
his methods have been held responsi-
BILE. The enlightenment, so socialists
here say. that is needed is one which
will make plain to the Russians the
pathway of a democracy's duty in such
a war as this. American socialists,
or some of them. at any rate. believe
that liberty so recently founded In Rus
sia will be lost quickly to some "Man
on Horseback" II pledges to the allies
are repudiated and peace is sought
with Germany.
So it is that the belief, seemingly
substantial, is that Elihu Root and his
colleagues will do what they can al
most on the instant of their arrival In
Russia to impress upon the leaders and
the people, the workingmen and the
soldiers that the surest way to lose
the gift of freedom is to make friends
with freedoms enemies.
Ii has been held In Washington that
plan of American participation in
the campaigns In Europe unQuestion-
ably would include one for participa-
ton in the fighting on the east front.
Four American army officers are ac-
companying the commission to Russia.
One of them Is n campaigner of many
years, q strategist and a man known
for his persuasive powers. 1t seems
altogether unlikely that Maj. Gen.
Hugh L. Scott, chief of stan of the
United States army, would have been
sent with the commissiun unless the In
tention, II Russia holds firm. is to send
''heartening force" of the soldiers of
one republic to fight side by side with
the soldiers of another.
A Much Travelled Person.
Ynnnr man x.ho haS hoon N rr,,p