The Washington herald., 1917-03-19
Army and Navy News
Best service ceIuns d. Cit,.

II Best Service Column In City.
Mobilization on the high. speed in
cludes the very promptest assembling Of
the individual units in each State at the
concentration camps" asserts Chairman
John A. Wilson. of the military prepared
| ness committee Of the American Automo-
bile Association. who has been spending
much Of his time recently in the National
Capital. and Is In touch with various
| phases OF making ready"
THE answer as to how the organized
motorists OF the country can do their
part in the plans now being formulated
for Defense" continues Mr.. Wilson.
would seem to lie particularly in the
direction OF transportation, From all
| over the country have come repeated
offers from A. A. A. clubs and members
to count upon them in any preparatory
program into which they would logical
ly Mt. Naturally We have been and will
| continue to be vitality concerned in roads
Improvement and, of course, We appre-
ciate thoroughly that any comprehensive
defense scheme must include substantial
attention to highways, in connecting up
main arteries and providing for coastal
and border avenues of communication. I
have asked President II. NJ. Rowe, Of the
national body. to add to the military pre-
paredness committee not only Chairman
george c. Dtehl of the good roads board,
out all members OF the executive board,
as these men are scattered over the coun-
try and can assume much OF the work in
their respective vicinities
IL appeals to us that there are two
dennite ways in which the ,motor-car
owners can be exceedingly valuable
one or them is in connection with mo-
bilization effectiveness, especially of
tine minute-men sort. In every State
there are now more than enough pas
senger automobiles which could be
made systematically available in car
| rying to State camps those men who
! could not be provided for conveniently
| by railroad transportation. Those
States which have gone forward in
hiEhwayt betternent would particu-
larly lend themselves to the carrying
! out Of such plan. which probably
would include county arrangement and
| appointment OF officers responsible for
the details and the apportioning of
specified cars to certain enlisted men.
In the army appropriation act. ap-
proved by Congress, among the duties
given to the Council OF National De-
fense is set forth the Generalization of
military, industrial. and commercial
purposes In the location of extensive
| highways and branch lines Of rail-
| roads Not since the A. A. A. good
roads board. which had much to do
with the passage of the Federal aid
road act. called the attention Of the
Secretary OF War to tho great value of
a Southwestern frontier highway in
the effective handling Of troops and
munitions. The communication was re-
! ferred to the Council Of National De-
Tense. which is now about to give its
i thought to the essential mittcr of
| roads in the furthcranCe of its work.
In connection with the Southwest, it
! might be said that Texas receives more
money than any other commonwealth
from the Federal act. and New Mexico,
Arizona. and California obtain large
sums"
Fifteen thousand members of the
Home Defense League of New York
J City are ready today to serve in all
precincts Of the city in the event of
any emergency which demand their
services. The body has been in pro-
cess Of preparation for nearly two
years and has been instructed and
drilled to a degree which makes the
men valuable auxiliary to the regu-
lar department..
Most of the men. according to H J.
Case, secretary to Arthur Woods, no
| lice commissioner. and the head Of the
league. have had military or naval
training. either as members Of the
regular army or navy or of some mill
tary organization. Many of them have
had considerable rife practice and a
large proportion are good horseback
riders
The police department officials have
called on some of the men and have re-
ceived prompt respon-. IN minor emer-
gencies. Last summer, during the
epidemic of infantile paralysis, mem
bers of the leaCu" were called to help
maintain sanitary patrol Of the
streets.
One of the problems faced by the
police department was finding halls for
the league members to drill in. In
warm weather they drill out Of doors
/ in many instances. Later some OF the
y National Guard armories were used on
nights when there were no drills of
| Guardsmen in them. So were some
schoolhouses and the large gymnasium
at police headquarters Al present
there is league unit In nearly every
precinct OF the city. and drills are be-
| ing held regularly.