Norwich bulletin., 1917-10-10

Washington, Oct. 9.-Orders issued today to ommanderS of national army cantonments disclose for the first time the war departments complete plans for the training and organization of the first half million men of the na- tional army.
 Shortage of men in the three na- tional guard divisions in the south the 30th, 31st and 39th. coupled with decision to form a new national army division of negro troops has made necessary a readjustment of the forces at fifteen of the sixteen can comments. The geographical complex ion of three national army divisions will be changed entirely as a result.
 General Bliss, chief of staff, issued this explanation
 The Explanation.
 ''The selected men that are now being gathered into the 16 national cantonments will be used to form the first force of 500.000 men authorized in the act of congress approved May IS, 1917, and to nll up tl~ national guard divisions t1 practically the maximum strength of the new organ men selected will be used to supple rnent the voluntary enlistments for the special and technical troops that are such an important part of the or expected that the voluntary enlist mentS for the regular army will be enough to keep that branch of the na- tion's, forces filled up to strength without transferring men to it from this first selection for the national army.
 "The force of 50o,0O0 men will be organized into sixteen white divisions and one colored division. One white division will be organized at each of the 16 national army cantonments and the units of colored divisions will be organized at various cantonments where the number of colored troops is sufficient to organize a divisional unit.
 Not to Concentrate CoIored Men.
 Instead of concentrating all of the colored men in the few cantonments the war department will be to dis tribute them more CT less evenly throughout all of the sixteen national army cantonments.
 '1n the southern states, whose quo tas go to the cantonments at Colum- bia, s. C.. Atlanta, Ga, and Little Rock Camps Jackscn, Gordon and Pike), the number of white men re- quired to fill up the national guard divisions furnished by those same Of colored to white in the populations of those states is so great, that it has been found to be physically inn possible to organize three national
  ions at full strength from the white quotas of these states, and therefore the war department has decided to take all of the white men from these states, both national guard and na- tional army, and organize them into four full strength divisions (three na- tiona1 guard and one national army.) This national army division will be organized at Camp Jackson from the men left over at Camps Jackson, Cor don and Pike after the three national guard divisions (30th. 31st and 39th) have been filled up to strength.
 National Army Division.
 "At Camp Gordon, after it's white quota has been transferred to the national guard and to Camp Jackson, there will be organized a national ar my division made up of surplus white men drawn from Camps Devens, Up- ton. Dix. Meade and Lee; and at Camp Pike, after it's white quota has been to the national guard and Camp Jackson, there will be formed a national army division. made up of surplus white men drawn from Camps Sherman, Custer, Grant. Taylor, Dodge, Funston and Travis.
 "This plan, though somewhat diff ferent from the one originally adopted by the war department of forming complete national army division com posed exclusively of men from each of the 16 national army areas, is in full compliance with the spirit of the law of May IS, because under it each white national army division still rep resents a distinct geographical area, the one at Camp Jackson being made up entirely from the white men Of the extreme southern states, the one at Camp Gordon being made up en- tirely from the surplus white men of the extreme eastern states and the one at Camp Pike being made up en- t1rely from the surplus white men of the great middle western section. On the other hand the colored division will be made up of representatives from every part of the nation and will be a truly national division.
 "Also under this plan it is possible