Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-13
Berlin to Declare War
on u. s., RunOr Says
Continued from PAGE One

the belief that cruiser law would be
respected by submarine crews which
have been publicly ordered to shoot at
sight.
From his slckbed President Wilson today v
was directing the preparations OF both
branches Of the service. The army plans
are naturally held back. No action can
be taken so far as increasing the personnel
until y state OF war actually exists When
that comes, II O. does. the first call will be
Tor volunteer force OF 500. 900 men. The
general staff has worked out a plan TO
otiicer such force II already has directed
the various regimental commanders to rec
Ommend from the enlisted forces sixty men
Tor commissions from each regimental unit
These lists must be submitted to the STAFF
not later than March 20. one week from
today
sixty is the minimum number. but there
was some doubt in official quarters whether
some OF the more recently organized regi-
ments would be able to supply this many
If the plan works out, total OF 1850
ohicers would Immediately he available The
greatest danger Of this plan is that il robs
existing regiments of its best noncommis-
stoned officers. This naturally viii seri-
ouslN weaken the professional standing
army But officers today declared the
method the general stan has adopted Is the
only one by which a volunteer army could
he speedily whipped into shape
The regular army az At present consti-
tuied has 1000 commissioned officers. None
Of these could be spared from their regular
posts TO train volunteers. In addition to
the men TO be picked from the ranks for
this work. 1000 members of the Officers
Reserve Corps under the general stan plan
would be called TO the COlors to command
volunteer regiments
The Government has now stored at vari-
Gus arsenals throughout the cOuntry--prin-
"ipally at the Rock Island and Erankford
arseuals nearly all Of the supplies re-
qulred for volunteer force of 800 900
with the exception of uniforms. These in
clude guns. bayonets. haversacks etc
pIloh ana half rounds of regulation rifle
ammunition are in storage and ready for
distribution to the volunteers For each
rl1e IN reserve there are 1000 rounds of
ammunition; for each machine gun %. GOO
rounds.
BUT army men admitted today that these
preparations were only start--that many
more calls for volunteers would follow
rapidly on the heels of the first Vast
quantities OF supplies would be required to
equip these volunteers The general staff
entertatns no fears on that score. however
Give us the men" on officer said today.
ana We viii get the supplies so fast that
it will make Your head swim It il the
question Of persOnnel-nOt msterial-that
troubles the general staf Anything that
is made ON machines-guns ammunition.
cloth for uniforms-this nation can turn
out 50 rapidly that it would make any
European nation sick with a declaration
OF war the great machine the national
council of defense has built would he set
IN Motion turning out war supplies. In
few months we would have enough to
equip ten armies. All that is lacking is
the men if We can get the men we can
put an army Of one million in the field in
a year and two million in eighteen months.
Luckily the enemy is not upon us and we
can bide our time to fight"