Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-08-15
$4,000 MILITIA
GOING TO FRANCE
New Forty-second Divisin is Made
Up Of National Guards From
Twenty-six States
GENERAL MANN IN COMMAND
He Is a Vetern Indian Fighter, Who
Served In Cuba And The
Philippines.

The War Department at Washing
ton yesterday announced the orgsnizG-
ton of the FIRST of the National Guard
army divisions to be sent to France.
1t will be known as the Forty-second
Division, will consist approximately
of lg. 900 men, and will be command
ed by Msjor Gen. William A. Mann,
who is to relinquish almost imme-
diately his present post as Chief of
the Division of Militia Affairs of the
War Department, to organize and train
his new command.
The Forty-second Division, which
will include the Fighting Sixty
ninth" Regiment of Infantry of the
New York National Guard, will sail
for France very soon 1t Is under
stood this division will not be sent
into camp in this country, but will be
organized and intensively trained
abroad. 1t will be composite divi-
sion made up of National Guard com
mands covering the four points of the
national compass. Troops in this di
vision will range from Oregon and
California to New York and Pennsyl-
vania Guard units, and from Wiscon-
sin to Louisiana and Texas. as well as
from the deep centre of the country.
While there was no official admission
of the fact, it is believed that COM
.mands composing it, as part of the
first guard division to be sent to
France, awere picked from widely scat
tered regions Of the country for GER
tain psychological, as well as for mill
tary, reasons. II is perhaps more
than chance that some of these men
come from Oregon. where there have
been I. w. W. disturbances from Cal
ifornia, where there have been labor
troubles; from Georgia and Oklahoma,
where there were threats of resist
ance against the draft law, and from
several strongly pro-Germsn commu-
mites. 1t was limited, but not official
ly admitted, that the manner of the
formation of this division is such as to
arouse patriotic interests in certain
widely scattered sections of the coun-
try.
CONSISTS OF 1900 MEN.
The War Department announce
ment said nothing about this division
going to France. 1t merely announced
the names of the organizations select
ed and said that General Mann had
been placed in command When War
Department officials were asked to
what camp this division would be sent
they replied that it would go to no
camp. 1t was semi-officially admitted
that this would be the first National
Guard division to be sent to France.
The formation of the new division is
in accordance with the provisions of
the general order calling for the re-
organization of the entire army to
harmonize with the divisional organiss
cation of the forces of the Allies on
the western front. Instead If being
composed of %, 600 men. this division
will consist of $4,000 men. Instead
of having three regiments each, The
new division is to consist of two in.
fantry brigades of two regiments each,
field artillery brigade, with trench
mortar battery added, and various
battalions and trains. The ratio of
artillery strength to infantry is great
ly increased, as compared with the
former plan of organization, and the
machine gun arm is materially en-
larged. There is no cavalry in the
division. Nor is there any aero
squadron, as with the old divisions.
The aircraft units are to be provided
for otherwise in the army's plans.