The midland journal., 1917-08-24
j. S. ARMY ON
EUROPEAN BASIS
Complete Reorganization Adopt
ed BY Department.
RECOMMENDED BY PERsHING
Plan Provides For Six, COMMISSIONED
officers-s,eoo Men To RegL
ment, 10000 To
Division.

Washnigton.-Com reorganiza-
tion of all branches of the American
Army to conform with European stand
ards, as recommended by Major-Gen-
eral Pershing, is provided for in army
orders revealing that the recently an
nounced divisional reorganization plan
is to be carried down into the regi-
ments and companies.
The administrative unit of the in
fantry hereafter will be a company
with $50 enlisted men and commits
stoned officers, in place of something
over 100 men and officers. The COM
pany will be divided into four platoons,
each in command of a lieutenant.
There will be two captains as first and
second in command, one first lieuten-
ant and three second lieutenants. Re
ports of the review of American troops
in France show that this plan already
has been carried out in General Perish
ing's forces.
The object of assigning two captains
to each company, it is understood, is
to provide against disorganization of
the unit through the loss of it's COM
mander. The second captain, under
the European system, does not go into
battle line with the company if his
senior is present. He is held as re-
serve to reorganize the company if
necessary.
$500 Men To Regiment.
Under the new plan, each regiment
will have three battalions of four COM
panies, making total of 5000 men.
Supplemented by the regimental head
quarters, supply and machine gun Or
ganizations, the strength of the new
regiments will be brought up to ap-
proximately $500 men, as against little
more than 1000 in existing war
strength regiments
The unit organization of the field
artillery and other arms of the service
has not been changed. AS result of
reducing the number of regiments in
division, the division, instead of 28,--
900 men, will total hereafter about 49,
900 men, $4,000 of them infantry.
The advantages of the system, in ad-
dition to the better adoption of the di-
visional unit to trench warfare, lie
chiefly in the reduction in overhead ex-
pense. One colonel and his regimental
staff, including his three battalion COM
manders, will now handle $500 men
instead of little more than 1000.
For 80 New Infantry Divisions.
The new orders show that provision
has been made for organization of 80
new infantry divisions in addition to
the regular divisions out of troops al
ready called to the colors, including
the first increment of $4,000 drafted
men, A system of numerical designa-
tions has been worked out under
which any division numbered below 26
will be regulars; between 26 and IS
National Guard, and rs and above, Ma
tional Army Regular infantry brigades
will be numbered from to so, in
elusive; National Guard from 81 to
$50, and National Army from 151 up.
Regular regiments will be numbered
from to 100, National Guard from 1O1
to 800 and National Army from 301 up.
Collar Insignia Approved.
The department approved collar in
sigma to designate the, three elements
of the army. Regulars will wear the
standard United States monogram. Ma
tional Guardsmen will wear similar
monogram with the initials N. G.
superimposed and National Army men
will have the initials N. A. .superim-
posed on the u, S.