The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-04-06
HOW US. WILL
RAISEBIGARMY
General Staff Bill. Ap-
proved by Wilson, is Pre-
sented in House.
100000 MEN IN YEAR
Draft to Be Enforced If Vol
unteer Enlistments Are
Not Speedy.

a million men within year and OF two
million within two years was disclosed
upon the passage Of the war resolution
by .he House.
A bill prepared by the General Staff
and approved by the President for SUBJ
mission to Congress provides for the
immediate filling UP Of the regular army
and National Guard to war strength OF
more than 100000. by draft unless
enough volunteers enlist quickly. and
for bringing into the service By late
summer Of the first 100000 of the new
force of young men between the ages
OF 19 and rs years to be called TO the
colors by selective conscrpitlon.
In drafting its programme the staff
recognized the fact that tho United
States must start at the beginning and
train first an army OF 10000 officers
and non-commissioned officers to under
take the training Of the thousands of
youths who will enter the service with
no notion of military duty or life.
Expansion OF the present regular army
to its fun war strength OF $4,000 en-
listed men and ll.7OO officers means
created by dividing existing regiments
and filling each half to war strength
with volunteers or conscriptS. The Ma
tional Guard regiments, all OF which can
be called into the Federal service under
existing law, will have approximately
$4,000 men and 1n.30O officers at war
strength. No new regiments OF the
guard would be organized. and the full
limit OF the national defence act would
f.-,s< Isatt, NtT%t.
between Federal and State forces. Here
also volunteers would be received, and
drafting resorted to only when neces-
sary.
Training for Five Months.
These two steps would provide a total
force OF $4,000 men and $4,000 officers.
TO be supplemented by recruit organ
ization for each unit, making an addi-
tional 100000 men under training. but
to be held IN reserve to I'LL gaps In the
active army as they occurred. For fve
months these expanded forces will be
subjected to training Of character
hitherto unknown in this country
simultaneously the registration OF all
men between the ages Of 10 and 25 will
be carried out with Federal, State and
municipal authorities cooperating.
In August or early In September the
first 100000 Of this new army, COM
posed exclusively of young men sum
,noned to the colors under the principle
of universal military service, with those
supporting dependents or needed by the
nation in civil life exempted. would be
assembled for training. From the regu-
lars and National Guard regiments
would be drawn 100000 specially Sc
lccted officers and n-commissioned Of
!icers who would organize, train anu
command the units OF the new army.
4 year from now second Increment
OF 5000 youths would be called out,
another 100000 officers and ron-con-
inssioned officers would he drawn from
the regulars, the National Guard forces
or from the frat section Of the new army
10 officer and train the second section.
Officers to Train a Million.
I'y that time tho machinery that had
been built up would provide enough
trained officers and non-commissioned
officers 10 train y million or more men
at time. II that were necessary. The
War Department hill. however. proposes
to authorize now only the first two
classes of the new army. making total
of more than 1000 900 trained troops that
would be available possibly within a
year and half, or In two years at
most.
The sum OF nearly $4,000, ooo, 900 asked
of Congress to carry out this programme
deals only with the first year of prepara-
ton. Behind II sands tho need OF an
equal sum for reserve supplies OF am
munitiun. cannon and other war ma
terals II the army is TO be employed in
actual war.
Included in the present estimates are
the cost of cantoument to house the
troops. Presumably the previous plans
OF the General Staff for sixteen military
districts will be carried out This would
provide for sixteen complete and fully
equipped army divisions. and while It Is
not proposed TO create any additional
tactical units OF the National Guard
steps will be taken to flll In the gaps In
the present guard structure with cavalry
artillery. engineers or other special
troops, completing tho tactical organ
ization of those forces on sound mill
| tary lines.
| NH Meets Great Emergency.
| Staff officers regard the plan proposed
AS the most effective that could be
! worked ont TO meet the present
emergency They regard the expansion
! of the regular army and the bringing
! OF both that force and the present res-
/ lnents or the gnari 10 th'l war strehs''
! az vital, since Sor fivc months they ex-
! poet to employ these agencies as huge
school from which trained otiiceN and
! n-commissioned officers can be turned
out. No other way presents itFen 70
| meet the need FOR officers. although al
, d,tional steps are being planned 10
! organize new officers schools and sup
plcmcnt the work Of all military colleges
! and schools now turning out prospective
| junior officers
The staff bill divided into seventeen
sections makes the following provisions:
section For the immediate eNpan-
sion ot the regular army a. described.
Continued on Third Page