The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-10

lb
 will be changed entirely as result.
 General Bliss. chief of staff, issued this explanations:
 .',rhe selected men that are now pe- ing gathered into the Is national army cantonments will be used to form tne first force of 5o0,o0o men authorized in the act of Congress, approved May IS, 1917, and to fill up the natlohai guard divisions ot practicany
 maximum strength of the new orsahl- zation. The balance of the 6s7,ooo SC lected men will be used to supplement- the voluntary enlistments for the spe- cial and technical troops that are such an important part of the organlzatloh of a modern army. It is expected that the voluntary enlistments for the reg ular army will be enough to keep that branch of the nations forces filled up to strength without transferring men to if from this first selection for the national army.
 'sThe force of 50o,ooO men will be organized into 16 white divisions ana one colored division. One white divi-s sion will be organized at each or the 1s national army cantonments and the units of the colored division will be organized at the various cantonments where the number of colored troops IS sufficient to organize divisional unit. ..rnstead of concentrating all of the colored men in the few cantonments of the southern states. the policy of the war department will be to dis gr 1aco throughout all of the le national army cantonments.
 DIFFICULTIES EXPERIENCED
 Tn the southern states. whose quotas go to the cantonments at Co- lumbia, S. C., Atlanta. Ga, and Lit- tie Rock Ark. Camps Jackson, Cor don and Pike), the number of white men required to fill up the national guard divisions furnished by those same states is so great and the pro portion of colored to white in the pop ulations of those states Is so great that ft has been found to be physically im- possible to organize three national guard and rec national army divi- sions at fuli 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- tional guard one national army). Tnss national army division will be organ ized at Camp Jackson from the men left over at Camps Jackson, Gordon and Pike after the three national guard divisions (Thirtieth, Thirty-frst and Thirty -ninth) have been filled ur to strength.
 "At Camp Gordon, after it's white suota has been transferred to the na- ttonsl guard and to Camp Jackson, there will be organized national army division made up of surplus white men from Camps Devens, Upton, DIX, Meade and Lee; and at Camp Pike. after Its white quota has been transferred to the national, guard and Camp Jackson, there will be formed a national army division made up ot surplus white men drawn from Camps sherman, Custer. Grant. Taylor, Dodge Funston and Travis
 
 This plan. though somewhat differen from tho one originally adopted by thu war department of forming complet, national army division composed exclu slvely of men from each of the Is na tional army areas, is in full complianc, with the spirit of the law of May IS because under It each white nationa army division still represents a distinc reographical area. the one at Camp Jack son being made up entirely from th' white men of the extreme southe-l states, the one at Camp Gordon beinI made up entirely from the surplus whit men of the extreme eastern states, an, \ the one at Camp Pike being made up en tirely from the surplus white men of tn great middle western section. On th other hand, the negro division will F made mp of representatives from ever part of the nation, and will be trul national division.
 Also under this plan It is possible to \ each natior al guard division with me drawn from the same geographical are from which the national guard divisio is drawn.''
 The new plan adds division tp rh national army organization, making divisions in that force to supplement th + national guard divisions, The neef division probably Will be designated the Ninety-second division. natioad army. It will be mobilised as a ii vision only when ordered to France fc duty. The force will be the largest fight ing unit of negro troops In the army an inc majority of its officers will con from the negro officers t.Ainins camp , Des Moines, Ia.
 .a The division will take in nearly 300 of the ss,oOo negroes registered under n draft law. There will he oEsanized in at dltIon however, service units tor wol behind the lines. orders were puhlish'
 scsst,..e1 s.f ls Nlnss ~,