The Colorado statesman., 1917-08-18
Uncle Sam Works Out New Sys-
tenn of Numbering Regi-
ments in His Armies.
STATES TO Be GIVEN Credit
CommonweaIths From Which the Vsri-
Gus Organizations Are Recruited
Will Be Designated in
PRrentheses.


bering of regiments in Uncle Sans
armies has been approved by the chief
of staff, the adjutant general and
secretary OF war. Following out this
plan regiments will be numbered ac-
cording to the arm of the service they
represent, without reference to the fact
that particular regiment belongs to
regular srmy, National Guard, or Ma
tional gtmy. This decision leads the
adjutaat General to withdraw a former
recommendation made in this connec-
ton and to indorse the new plan as
the most direct method available.
According to this ruling units will
go into the service designated as
"Twelfth cavalry" "Sixty-sixth in
fantry," ninth artillery" etc. But to
avoid confusion each National Guard
regiment will retain its present desig-
nation in parentheses. Thus, taking
the Porto Rico regiment, for instance,
it will be designated as the "Sixty-fifth
infantry Up. R.)," and the First Maine
infantry as the "Sixty-sixth infantry
(First Maine)." Conforming with this
policy the National Guard infantry
regiments would be numbered serially
in accordance with the plan for the
complete expansion of that branch of
the service.
National Army Regiments.
'The numbers of the National Army
regiments would begin where the Ma
tional Guard regiments left Off" the
adjutant generals report reads, ito
enable National Army organizations
also to indicate their locality in paren-
thesis, system could be adopted as
shown by the following examples:
Irregular Army-No change.
"National Guard-Sixty-sixth in
fantry (First (Me.), Eighty-Eighth in
fantry (Seventh N. ", Thirty-fifth
field artillery (Second Pa.), Tenth En-
gineers (Twenty-second N. ".
"National Army-Two Hundred and
Fifth Infantry CIV. Va.), Sixty-fifth
field artillery (Minn.).
"The system suggested above con-
templates that the designation in par
entheses would ordinarily be omitted
in orders, dispatches, or correspond
ence, but would be authorized, when
desired, for the purpose of local iden-
tification and to preserve traditions
and local pride. The National Guard
organizations would show in parenthe-
ses their present state designations
The National Army organizations
would show in parenthesis the state
from which the organization, or the
bulk of 1t, was drawn"
No parenthesis implies regular army.
An ordinal number and state abbrevla-
tiOn implies National Guard. A SIM
pie state abbreviation implies National
Army. 1t is believed it is advisable to
localize organizations If practicable.
The assignment of state designations
for National Army organizations under
the above system would be somewhat
arbitrary in some cases, but on the
whole the system could be worked out
quite accurately and with suitable
credit to all states.
Single Series of Numbers.
'In the interests of simplicity, there
fore, and to avoid many errors and
much confusion in administrative and
other matters, it is believed to be es-
sential that single series of numbers
be used for each class of organization
divisions, brigades, infantry regi-
ments, engineer regiments, etc. But on
mature thought, and in view of the
uncertainty with respect to what may
from time to time constitute the best
combinations, or the most convenient
organizations, now believe 1t must be
impracdcable to organize divisions and
brigades permanently on basis that
will enable one to deduce from the
regimental number the number of the
division and brigade, to which that
regiment belongs. The regularity
should be approximated as closely as
possible in the initial organization, but
strict adherence to the rule should not
be insisted upon.
"This office is of the opinion that
the formation of provisional divisions
is mistake. Our tables of organiza-
ton provide for divisions organized in
q specific manner. To break up this
organization and form a new one at
the very last moment will result in
endless and needless confusion due to
the transfer of men and officers. The
resultant shifting and changing of rec
ords will be stupendous, and cannot
be made to fit tactical requirements.
On the whole it is believed to be far
better to continue with our present
statutory organization, and devise
plan for removing our difficulty in a
manner that would best fit the special
conditions that may confront us. The
assignment of artillery to subdivisions
for special purposes is not difficult
task. 1t is done in every deployment
of large units. 1t does not need per-
manent organization. Our division
could be treated as a corps if brought
into service alongside of foreign troops