New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-01
Asks Passage of Harding
Amendment to Back Cen
cral Jofre's Idea
Can Raise 4 Divisions
Colonel Believes a Force
Should Be Sent Abroad
Without Weeks Delay

Immensely pleased with General Jof-
fre'S declaration that Americans were
wanted at the front at once and that
the best place to train soldiers was in
the fighting zone, Colonel Roosevelt
yesterday issued an appeal to Congress
TO allow the raising Of volunteers for
immediate service in France.
81 trust" he said. that the members
OF Congress will remember that II we
mean business we will back General
Jofre's idea and adopt in substance the
Harding amendment to raise some diyi-
sions of volunteers Immediately"
The Colonel made this statement late
in the afternoon at the Hotel Langdon,
Incorporating in it much that he had
said earlier in the day on his arrival
from Chicago. Meanwhile he had con
ferred with many who are associated
with HIM IN the raising OF a division
for service IN France. and had discussed
Russian affairs AZ luncheon with Count
count agreed that the hope of Russia
lay in moderation on the part Of the
democratic radicals Otherwise, the
Colonel told his guest, there was dan
ger TO the new republic of overthrow
by counter-revolution
Gets Oldtime Greeting
The several hundred persons await
ing trains in the Pennsylvania Station
gave the Colonel an oldtime Roosevelt
reception as he emerged from the train
shed with s. Stanwood Menken, Of the
National Security League, and a small
group of friends.
At the Offices of "The Metropolitan
Magazine" he said
IF | am permitted, can raise one
or four divisions. composed Of regi-
ments substantially like the regiment
! commanded in the Spanish war. That
regiment was raised, armed. equipped,
drilled mounted and dismounted. kept
two weeks on transports and put
through two victorious, aggressive
fights. in which it lost over one-third
Of the officers and one-ffth Of the men,
all within sixty days from the time
got my commission"
IN his later statement the Colonel
asserted:
81 am particularly hopeful that our
people will understand the absolute
truth OF what General Joffre says TO
the effect, first, that it is neither feast
bic nor desirable to withdraw the
Americans now fighting in the French
and Britt. armies and forming them
into purely American corps; next.
that an American force should be sent
over without weeks unnecessary de-
lay, and, third. that il would be inn
possible TO train our troops effectively
anywhere else than in the theatre Of
war.
Would Mean Failure
ITO keep all our men here being
trained by the regular army. by Ma
tional Guard and Plattsburg officers
for one year and then TO try 10 send
all over as one army would mean, in
the first place. a discreditable failure
20 do our duty during this year, and,
Furthermore. that the army, when sent.
would be inefficient. After a great war
like this has been begun the training
must come on or back OF the firing
line.
81 have been told again and again
by high officers in the British and
French armies that a man who has
been wounded and invaded home and
returns after seven or eight months
absence 70 the firing line has 30 learn
his business over again, so rapidly do
conditions change"
Colonel Roosevelt spent the night in
New York He will return to Oyster
Bay to-day.