Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-09-19
100000 MORE
IN ARMY TO-DAY
tC0NSCRIPTED YOUNG MEN NOV
ING FROM ALL PARTS OF THE
COUNTRY REPRESENT As PER
CENT OF QUOTA.


Marshaled for the last time as civilians
and under civilian authority, more than
100000 men of the national army will
go forward today to the sixteen can
tonments to be trained for the battle
against German autocracy Their next
move will be as fighting men toward
the battlefields of France.
The whole nation will be astir with
the movement of the selective forces.
The men represent approximately As
per cent. of the total army quota under
the first call from each of the nearly
5000 local boards. Already at the
camps is the advance guard of per
cent. of the total, composed of exper-
fenced men, including cooks. Out of
this has been created skeleton or
ganization into which the second in
crement will begin to be absorbed to-
day When the last men of this in,
crement arrive, the camps will house
half of the first call forces, or 343,-
500 men.
In statement the war department
says the enormous task Of obtaining
equipment and supplies for the army is
moving satisfactorily Some of the
men of the national army may be only
partly equipped for some time after
they are modified, and no attempt will
b. made to furnish them full war
equipment until the eve of their de-
Iparture for Europe,
With the mobilization of one-half of
the 6S7 zoo men Of the first call under
the selective service law in progress,
the question arises as to whether that
number of men will be sufficient to fill
all units of the national guard and the
national army. There are indications
that a deficiency in men will be dis
closed when official reports from all
tie thirty-two training camps are
available Seventeen divisions of the
national guard have been organized,
but with a few exceptions they are
not at maximum war strength The
fighting strength of the seventeen di-
visions under the new tables of organ
zation will be $4,000 men. supple
ment by many thousands of auxiliary
troops Whatever deficiencies there
are will be supplied promptly from
the national army, as the guard will go
first to the front.
Since the president called the first
6S7 600 men of the national army, the
signal corps, including the aviation
section, has been greatly expanded.
Nearly 100000 additional men must be
transferred to this service alone Nu-
merous necessary auxiliary units Of
the medical corps for immediate duty
abroad. not thought of when the cali
, was made, have been organized. When
enlisted men of the guard of the regu-
lar army have been taken. their places
will have to be filled with national
army men.
So far as known, no definite figure as
ito the probable total deficiency in
men has been compiled. 1t is not un-
likely, however, that when the ma
ional army divisions are organized,
many vacancies will be found, and it
will be necessary either to make Sec
ond call on the drafted forces, or to
train incomplete divisions. Divisions
will go TO France only at maximum
strength.
/ In a statement today, the war de-
partment says that the industries of
the country are expanding rapidly to
meet the army supply demands, and
only minor shortages are expected at
the training camps Quartermaster
department officials regard the food
ituation as satisfactory. The prob
EN- of obtaining clothing and other
equipment, however, has presented
many obstacles, most of which already
ave been overcome. With 100000
men to provide for, and $4,000, 100000
to spend in the first year, the depart-
ment faced a gigantic task at the out
break of the war.
: Difficulties arose from the outset,
the statement says: There was a
shortage of wool, shortage of duck
for tentage and leggins, shortage OF
fast dyes for uniforms and shortage
Of labor. There was no appreciable
: shortage of cotton, but shortage Of
: looms.
+; "~nese difficulties have been and are
being gradually overcome"