Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-04-11
WILL TAKE A YEAR
| TO TRAIN AN ARMY
Doubtful II United States VIII
Send Troops Before 1918.
MILITARY LEADERS DICTATE

Imperfect Division Sent to the Trench
% Would &c Only an impeachment,
Military Man Asserts-our Regulars
No Match Now For Veterans Of the
Kaiser on Western Front.
"A United States army to be of any
service whatever In France CT on any
other battle front of the European war
must first be fully equipped and thor
0ughly trained. This is matter Of
year or more. 1t Is idle to talk about
sending small army TO France for
sentimental reasons. Il would not be
a drop in the bucket"
This statement wasemade by a mill
tary expert who Is giving close atten-
tion to the developments Of the war
with Germany. Continuing. he said:
There still are lot Of people who
think man becomes a soldier the mo-
ment he gets into uniform and puts
a gun on his shoulder. This is nom
sense. even If the man happens to be
an American.
Every man must be drilled and
trained before he is soldier In mod
ern trench warfare he must have a
different training from that Of here
tofOre. Why. the situation in Europe
Is changing from month to month.
Every general staff In the war has had
to scrap most Of the rules and prac-
tees 1t had when the great struggle
started.
Must Be Perfect Machine.
Assuming that we have real
army thoroughly trained and fully
equipped and send it to France, of
course It would be an invaluable aid
to the allies. On any other basis an
American army would be an impedi-
ment, If not menace. We can send
perfect military machine to Europe
il given sufficient time to prepare it.
Nothing else should be sent.
IAN American army Of several hun
dred thousand men il placed In France
after having been thoroughly accli-
mated would be worked into a section
Of the long battle front, just as new
troops from England or France or
Russia are worked ina little at
time, complete section ultimately
being turned over to the American con-
tingent.
Before this is done 1t would be
necessary for the American field com
mander to establish his own lines of
communication, his own bases for sup
plies and, in short, assume complete
control Of everything military on his
section Of the front. All Of this would
take time.
There is every indication that pub
lie clamor will seek to force the send
Ing Of troops to France before they
are prepared to so. This will never
be done with the consent OF our mill
tary men. We are absolutely opposed
to sending small contingent Of the
regular army. the only force now pre-
pared to go.
ITO do so would be suicidal since
we have not nearly enough officers as
it is and shall need every officer and
competent enlisted man that can be
spared for the training of new troops.
Year at Least Needed.
"The country Is in for distinct dis
appointment If the people generally ex-
pect to see American soldiers rushed
to Europe Immediately and put into
the trenches on the other side. Every
man ought to have ut least one years
training and should have more.
ut must be remembered that the
German army is composed of veterans
and that the kaiser's best troops thick
ly line the western front, which Is the
most vital to both sides. American
soldiers of our regular army. who have
had no experience in trench warfare,
would not be match at the outset for
German veterans. They, too, must
learn the game. The Germans, like
the French and the British, now know
the game from the bottom Of the
trenches up.
France and Great Britain want an
American army sent to Europe, but
they want trained army and would
have no use for any other kind. If not
fully trained here before being sent
across such an army would be detained
far behin1 the trenches ,0til the Rrjt