Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1917-05-04

army men say cannot be spared, be-
cause of the need of the regulars to
instruct new men in the greater army.
It is the wish of American army Off
GERS that American youth be inn
pressed with the fact that their eff
cheney as soldiers. the very safety of
their lives and the safety of their
country depend on their willingness
not only to fight but to undergo long
preparation in order that they may
know how to fight.
The army that will be called into
the field in this country must be
taught everything, army officers say,
from the position of a soldier to the
ultimate higher things which the sol
der must learn. This takes time, pa
thence, ready submission to discipline
and a willing, enduring spirit. Army
men point out that the chances of
auccessful outcome and of a minimum
loss Of life depend upon the willing
ness of the men to learn in advance
what they must do and how.
Experience of England.
Great Britain sent into France at
the beginning of the war about $4,000
men as an expeditionary force. It
was composed of soldiers who CORE
spond to our regular army. They were
trained to the minute. They made
splendid fight all the way on the en-
forced but strategic retreat from Bel
GUM to the valleys of the Marine and
the Grand NORM. Then this little
body of regulars, or what there was
left Of it, turned to the attack and
aided the French in driving the Ger
man troops back.
There was little left of the British
exDeditionary force, and it was this
fact that made it doubly hard for
England to prepare its volunteer force
and later it's conscripted troops quick
ly for the field. The officers and the
noncommissioned officers of the regu-
lars who knew how to train green
troops and to give them the spirit OF
the established soldiery largely were
killed off or disabled in the awful
fighting from the Belgian line to the
line running east from Paris, and IN
the later advance to the line which
the Germans had prepared for what
they hoped to be a permanent place
of resistance.
It will be seen. army officers say,
readily enough from the experience
of Great Britain that this country
must needs conserve a large part of
its regular force to act as instructors
of it's new troops in the field This
fact, it is said, probably will prevent
the dispatch of force of regulars to
the European battlefield, or at least
prevent the immediate sending OF a
force greater In strength than di-
vision
MANY Generals Will Be Needed.
When the National army is raised
and the regular and National Guard
services are expanded to their full war
limit there will be the need Of between
30 and 40 major generals and about
four times that number of brigadier
generals.
If the lieutenant general rank shall
be revived by congress, as seems likely
to be the case because of the size OF
the armies which we are to raise, there
will be heart-burnings in the matter
unless the ranking major general OF
the United States army, Leonard
Wood, is given preference. The presi-
dent of the United States can name
any man that he chooses as lieutenant
general of the army. He can take a
man from civil life if he wants to. OF
course he will not, but inasmuch as 1T
is in his power to pick his man it may
be that pressure will induce him to
name some Junior major general to
the high command.
The major generals of the line in
the United States army today are
Leonard Wood, j. Franklin Bell,
Thomas FL. Barry, Hugh L. Scott,
Tasker Bliss, John J. Pershing, Hunter
Liggett and few others. In addition
there are men in the staff departments
holding the rank of major general.
Many Who Will Be Promoted.
Within a few months Clarence r.
Edwards, James Parker, Charles J.
Bailey, George Bell. Jf., Frederick S.
Strong, Harry #. Hodges, John F. Nor
rison, William T.. Sibert and Francis
J. Herman, all brigadier generals, will
be advanced to the grade of major gen.
eral and be given command of troops
In the field.
In addition to the major generals
and the brigadier generals who will be
made major generals, there are some
scores of colonies and lieutenant col
onels who will be advanced and be CIV
en- the right to wear the star.
The Army Register gives only the
briefest outline of the services of the
officers under the colors. After name
here and there appear in black type
the letters IN. H." There is no officer
in the United States army who would
not give at least one step of his pro-
motion if he had the legal authority to
write IN. H." after his name. 1t