The daily Alaskan., 1917-05-09
WILL TAKE A YEAR
 TO TRAIN AN ARMY
Doubtful If United States VIII
 Send Troops Before 1918,
MILITARY LEADERS DICTATE

Imperfect Division Sent to tho Trench.
 ss Would 30 Only an impeachment,
 Military Man Assert0-our RosuIaro
 No Match Now For Veterans of the
 Kaiser on Western Front.
 "A United States army to be of any service whatever fin France or on any other battle front of the European war must first be fully equipped and thor oughly trained. This is a matter of a year or more. It is Idle to talk about sending a small army to France for sentimental reasons. It would not be a drop in the bucket"
 This statement was made by a mill tary expert who is giving close atten- tion to the developments of the war with Germany. Continuing, he said: "There still are a lot of people who think a man becomes a soldier the mo- ment he gets into a uniform and puts a gun on his shoulder. This is non sense, even if the man happens to be an American. ....
 Every man must be drilled and trained before he Is a soldier In mod ern trench warfare he must have different training from that of here tofore. Why, the situation in Europe is changing from month to month. Every general staff in the war has had to scrap most of the rules and prac- tices it had when the great struggle | started.
 Must Be Perfect Machine.
 Assuming that We have a real army thoroughly trained and fully equipped and send 1t to France, of course 1t would be an invaluable aid to the allies. On any other basis an American army would be an inpedi- ment, if not a menace. We can send 8 perfect military machine to Europe If given sufficient time to prepare 1t. Nothing else should be sent.
 An American army of several hun dred thousand men If placed fin France after having been thoroughly accli- mated would be worked into a section of the long battle front, just as new troops from England or France or Russia are worked ina little at a time, a complete section ultimately being turned over to the American con- tingent.
 Before this Is done 1t would be necessary for the American field con- mander to establish his own lines of communication, hls own bases for sup plies and, in short, assume complete control of everything military on his section of the front. All of this would ! take time.
 There is every indication that pub lie clamor will seek to force the send ing of troops to France before they are prepared to go. This will never be done with the consent of our mill tary men. We are absolutely opposed to sending a small contingent of the regular army, the only force now pre- pared to go.
 "To do so would be suicidal since we have not nearly enough officers as it is and shall need every officer and competent enlisted man that can be spared for the training of new troops. Year at Least Needed.
 "The country Is in for a distinct dis appointment if the people generally ex- pect to see American soldiers rushed to Europe immediately and put into the trenches on the other side. Every man ought to have at least one years training and should have more.
 Tt must be remembered that the German army is composed of veterans and that the kaiser's best troops thick. ly line the western front, which is the most vital to both sides. American soldiers of our regular army, who have had no experience in trench warfare, would not be a match at the outset for German veterans. They, too, must learn the game. The Germans, like the French and the British, now know the game from the bottom of the trenches up.
 France and Great Britain want an American army sent to Europe, but they want a trained army and would have no use for any other kind. If not fully trained here before being sent l across such an army would be detained far behind the trenches until the Brit ish or French authorities deemed 1t fit for trench work"
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