The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1917-08-28
A VAST ARMY WILL
'anN Be SENT FRANCE
U. S. WILL SEND ONE MILLION
TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND
MEN TO THE TRENCHES.
ONLY PICKED men WILL
FORM The FIRST UNITS

Rainbow Division Will Be Followed
BY the New England National
Guard. Two Thousand Officers to
Train in France.
The war department is planning
to send more than 100000 infantry
ment to France. On the basis of two
lnfantrymen to every artilleryman,
the ratio preserved in the organiza-
ton of new divisions for service in
Europe, the American overseas forces
at the end of the first year of parti-
cipation in the war will number at
the very least 100000 fighting men.
Of the 100000 men the United
States will soon have under arms the
remainder will be retained in the
United States as depot troops from
which vacancies in the expeditionary
forces will be filed. This statement
is the first authoritative indication
of the actual number of fighters to be
sent abroad. 1t was contained in a
bulletin issued by the bureau of in
formation in Washington.
Officials hitherto have maintained
strict silence on the number and
movement of troops. Now it is as
serted that 100000 men will be
transported each month as soon as
shipping facilities are available, and
that they will be provisioned and
equipped from the United States.
Picked Men For Foreign Duty.
Two army divisions, instead of one,
comprising total of at least $4,000
men, probably will make up the first
contingent of the national guard to
go to France to support Gen. PERISH
ing and his regulars who saw service
on the Mexican border last summer.
Although no official confirmation has
been obtained, the Forty-second or
Rainbow DIVISION" composed of
representatives from 26 states now
modelling at Mineola, l.. l., probably
will be accompanied or followed by
the Twenty-sixth division, including
national guard units from New Eng
land states.
These divisions will be followed by
over 100000 national guard units
whose ranks will be boosted to war
strength by the assignment of thou
sands of drafted men in the new ma
tional army to the various units. The
remainder of the $500 men includ-
ed in the first draft will be held as
depot troops and will be used to fill
vacancies in the first 100000 as men
are rejected or as casualties occur.
Railroads are completing plans
now for the mobilization of the new
national army. On Sept. 1 they will
begin the movement of the first 5
per cent. of the draft quota from the
various states. On Sept. 10 the sec
ond 40 per cent. will be shifted to
Southern environments and on Oct.
40 per cent. and the remaining 5
per cent. will be moved as soon there
after as practicable. Negroes will go
South with white troops. War de-
partment officials say that the colored
troops were on the border last sum
mer with state units and caused no
problem. They will not change now.
Officers to Train in France.
From the $4,000 officers taken
from the training camps just closed
1000 have been selected to begin i'm
mediately intensive training in
France. Some of the young men may
go to France and English officers
schools and later may be assigned to
the regular army to relieve officers
who may be better qualified to aid in
the plan of expanding the American
army