The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1917-04-06
Definite PLANS
FOR LARGE Army
WAR DEPARTMENT READY TO
PELsENT THEM TO CONG
RESS WHEN REQUIRED
ARMY OF HALF MILLION
VIII lie Assembled Under Universal
Service System without
Delay.

Washington, April 3.-The def
mite plans of the War Department ars
waiting to so forward to Congress
when 1t Is ready to receive them.
President Wilson gave clear view
of the immediate steps to be urged
In his address. but until the depart.
ment.s plan has been submitted. how
ever, details are regarded as conf
Dental.
The first element of the plan. the
President has already disclosed. II
is the assembling OF 100000 men
under the UNIVERSAL service system
as an addition to the regular army
and National Guard, which would
provide a total war strength force of
100000. 1t is assumed that coin
cident with the calling out OF the
new army. orders to recruit the reg
ulars and guardsmen to full strength
will go out. Whether that will be
done by voluntary enlistment or By
draft has not been disclosed.
Army officers believe 100000 is
the maximum number they can
undertake to train at once. When
the work has proceeded for few
months. however. an additional $780,
600 could be called out, to be follow
ed out at intervals OF n few months
by other similar -incremenis, unit,
a total army OF the desired size has
been mustered. General staff officials
have consistently urged that min
imum of 100000 trained and eq-
tipped men should be provided for
national defense If that number Is
taken as including the regulars and
national guard. new army. more
than 100000 strong, would be
necessary to make the total
Training of Half Million.
The training of the first hall mill
ion will tax the personnel and ma
chinery of the regular army to the
limit. Even with provisional lists of
officers and the officers reserve corps
to call upon there will be shortage
OF training personnel. The units OF
the regular army, it is said. will be
vitality necessary TO carry the work
forward. For that reason the sug-
gestion that an eXpeditionary force
be sent TO carry the flag into France
as a symbol that the United States
was definitely and finally aligned
against Germany in the world war,
met with a cold reception, to-day
among officers of the general stan.
One officer said such a step would be
military suicide" as the only troops
available for such purposes would be
the regulars, who could not he spar
ed from training work.
National Guard.
There is much uncertainty as 10
the use to which the National Guard
is to he put under the new plan. No
information was forthcoming on this
point. The guard forms the great
reserve from which officers for the
new Federal force could he drawn.
With moro than $4,000 guardsmen
now on police duty, however, and the
number assigned to this work under
Federal direction being increased
every day, II was suggested that the
full strength of the State forces
might be required for protection
within the United States.
President Wilson is believed 10
have spoken in direct accordance
with the advice OF the War Depart
ment and the general star in the
program he broadly outlined to-
Congress. There is reason to be
lieye that the administration is look
ing ahead for year or more to the
time when the nations military pow
or would be fully developed in plan
ming for actual participation by