The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-04-23
NO AMERICAN ARMY
FOR FRANCE NOW
Pres. Wilson and Sec. Baker Favor Rails
ing of Adequate Force Before Send
ing Any Troops Across Ocean.

Washington, d. G., April 23--Presiden
Wilson and Secretary of War Baker EN-
phatically disapprove the idea of send
ing American troops to fight in Franc,
until the United States army has &C
CURED sufficient force to be factor
in the struggle. This became knowr
definitely following cabled reports of al
interview with Winston Churchill. for
mer first lord of the British admiralty
strongly advocating the presence of "ever
single American division on the battle.
field of France or Flanders"
Mr.. Churchill's idea is that the moral
effect would be very beneficial to the
entente and afford encouragement out OF
all proportion to the actual number OF
men employed. President Wilson, how
ever, feels that this would not be pr,l-
dent or practical means of demonstrating
this nations whole hearted Endorsement
of the cause of democracy for which it is
fighting.
The presidents ideas have been COM
municated confidentially to the Senate
and House military committees by Sec
rotary Baker. First the president wants
to have the country acquire force OF
$4,000 officers and l,034,270 men. He
wants these ready within a year for
whatever demands may come upon them.
Meanwhile he wants more officers and
more men. He desires to have the army
bill up equal to the best trained armies
of Europe and comparable to European
troops in number as well as efficiency
With this American force available
for any service it may be called on to
perform here or in Europe the president
feels that the nation will not only be
rendering the best assistance to the en-
tente's ultimate victory, but will be per
haps in position to exert the decisive
man power in the European trenches at
a later time when man power is the all
important factor. At present man power
is not an essential to the entente cause,
to information reaching this
government from London, Paris, Rome
and Petrograd. The French and British
need food and supplies at home more
han additional men in the trenches. The
United States has 100000 men availa-
Ole for military service but cannot equip
more than a third of this number.
Becau use of these considerations Secre-
AIRY Baker has stated that no serious
has been given to sending
abroad even small force "for the moral
fleet" it would have in Europe or for
he stimulation Of recruiting at home.
lie wants the country's attention first
entered on raising an army "for what
yer work it may later be called to do"
Meanwhile the program is to mobilize |
mr. industrial and agricultural labor and |
ther sources and provide munition and food |
o the maximum at the same time keep |
ne our allies abroad fully supplied with
he sinews OF war by enlarged means of
ully protected transportation.
mo decision has yet been reached con-
erning Col. Roosevelt's desire to raise
division of volunteers for service in
rance This idea might be sanctioned
5 an exception to the war departments
olicy provided il can be shown that it
'ould not divert men from the regular
rmy and provided it would not divert
ne services OF trained officers.
The latter is the most perplexing prob
m. If there are enough officers to spare
, train $4,000 men for Col. Roosevelt's
vision. the war department wants them
n work in the regular army. There is
particular shortage of trained officers
Nv and the regular army needs the
rvices of all it can get. +,