Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-04-06
President Wilson Gives Ap-
provaI and War Department.
viii Begin Work When Con-
greSS Authorizes It,
LITTLE DOUBT HELD AS
TO CONGRESS- ACTION
Regular Army and National
Guard First Would Be Re-
cruited to War Strength by
ConSCripts and Volunteers,

Washington, April How the
government plans to raise a war army
Of million men within a year and
two million within two years, was dis
closed upon the passage of the war
resolution by the house.
A bill prepared by the general staff
and approved by the president for
submission TO congress provides for
the immediate filling up of the regu-
lar army and national guard to war
strength of more than 100000 by
draft, unless enough volunteers enlist
quickly. and for bringing into the ser
vice by late summer of the first 500,-
600 of the new force of young men
between the .tses ot 10 end ~ years to
be called TO the CoIors by selective
conscription.
Must Start at Beginning.
In drafting its program the staff
recognized the fact that the United
States must start at the beginning
and train first an army of 100000
officers and commissioned Off
GERS to undertake the training of
the thousands of youths who will en-
ter the service with no notion Of mill
tary duty or life.
Expansion of the present regular
army to its full war strength of 2S7.-
900 enlisted men and 1900 officers
means many new regiments of all
arms to be created by dividing exist
ing regiments and filling each to half
war strength with volunteers or con-
scripts.
National Guard Also.
The national guard regiments, all
of which can be called in the federal
service under the existing laws, will
have approximately 327 900 men and
10000 officers at war strength, No
new regiments of the guard would be
organized and the full limit of the ma
tional defense act would be invoked to
wipe out any distinction between fed
eral and state forces. Here also
volunteers would be received and
drafting resorted to only when neces-
sary.
These two steps would provide a
total force of G14,000 men and $4,000
officers, to be supplemented by a re-
cruit organization for each unit max
ing additional 100000 men under
training, but to be held in reserve to
fill gaps in the active army as they
occurred
Drill TO BE Enforced.
For five months these expanded
forces will be subjected to training of
a character hitherto unknown in the
country. simultaneously the regis
tration of all men between the ages
of 10 and 25 will be carried out with
federal, state and municipal authori-
ties cooperating.
In August or early in September,
the first 100000 of this new army,
composed exclusively of young men.
summoned to the colors under the
principle of universal military serv-
ice, with those supporting dependents
or needed by the nation in civil life,
exempted, would be assembled for
training. From the regiments and
national guard regiments would be
drawn 100000 specially selected of
ficers and on-commissioned officers
who would organize, train and com
mand the units of the new army.
100000 in One Year.
A year from now a second incre-
ment of 500, 900 youths would be call
ed, out, another 100000 officers and
non-commissioned officers would be
drawn from the regulars. the national
guard forces or from the first section
Of the new army, to officer and train
the second section.
BY that time the machinery that
had been built up would provide
enough trained officers and non-com-
missioned officers to train a million
or more men at time, if that were
necessary.
The war department bill, however,
proposes to authorize now only the
first two classes of the new army.
making a total of more than 100000
trained troops available possibly with
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