Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-05-19
Division of $4,000 Trained
Men VIII Go to French
Front as Soon as Possible,
President Orders
GENERAL PERSHING TO
COMMAND EXPEDITION
War Department Gets Ma
chinery Working For
Registration and Enroll
ment of Men of Draft Age

Washington, May 10. - United
States regular troops, led by Major
General Pershing will carry the
Stars and Stripes to the European
battlefront.
Under orders from President Will
son, division of approximately 25,-
600 troops will go to France as soon
as possible to cooperate with British
and French forces.
President Wilson will not use the
authorization given in the war army
bill signed by him last night to per-
nit Colonel Roosevelt to raise a vol
unteer expedition for service in
France. In an announcement to
this effect, the President said that
his action was based upon expert
military advice from both sides of
the water.
Ready For Draft
Machinery for enrolling and sift-
ing 10,000,000 men and paving the
way for the selection of the first
100000 men under the new war
army law, based on the Presidents
proclamation, was set in motion by
proclamation calls upon all men be-
tween 81 and 80, inclusive, to regis
ter for military service on June 5.
The drafted army will not be call
ed to the colors until about Septem-
Der l, but by that time the regular
troops are expected to be in action
against the Germans.
Use Regular Troops
nh a,.lo, Co., H., .o,, l;,,cr - : ,,oc,,,
lar troops to France, the statement
regarding Colonel Roosevelt and the
proclamation, were issued by the
President last night Immediately af-
ter he had approved the war army
bill. Contrary to custom, there were
no ceremonies attending the signing
of the bill. The President affixed his
signature in the presence of only
members of the executive staff in
the W'ito House proper and then
sent Il over to the executive offices.
From there the document went to
the War Department where the
proclamation was issued.
General Pershing and his staff
will go to Europe ahead of his troops
at as an early date as practicable.
He has been here for some days in
conference with War Department Of
ficialS and British military officers.
Pershing a Veteran
General Pershing to-day automati-
cally was relieved of his command of
the Southern department by the
Presidents orders designating him
TO command the troops to be sent
to Europe. He is a veteran of the
Spanish-American war and led the
American troops into Mexico last
fall in pursuit of Villa and his band
President Wilson expresses re-
of outlaws.
gret that he could not employ vol
unteers nor avail himself of the fine
vigor and enthusiasm" of Colonel
Roosevelt for the expedition. ITO
do So" he explained, would serious
ly interfere with the carrying out of
the chief and most Immediately pur-
pose contemplated by the legisla-
ton, the prompt creation and early
use of an effective army, and would
contribute practically nothing to the
effective strength of the armies now
engaged against Germany"
Officials declined to-day to com
ment on the possibility that a way
would be found for using Colonel
Roosevelts services in another way.
There was talk TO this effect in the
army circles. however.