New Britain herald., 1917-05-21

use at the front had been accepted,
 the various units of the first division
 would tomorrow have begun to as-
 semble at whatever points the war de-
 partment had indicated, and they
 would have assembled in full force
 and without an hours delay as rapid-
 ly as the war department directed
 them where to go, and as soon as 1t
 provided them camping places. tents,
 and blankets, etc.. and we were pre-
 pared by the use of private funds | partly to make good any immediate
 lack in such supplies as regards many of the units. Fifteen days afterward the second division would have been mobilized in similar fashion. and then at intervals of thirty days the other two divisions. In accordance with what I had found to be the wish of the military authorities among our allies. the divisions would have been ready to. sail to France for intensive training back of the theater of war at intervals of thirty days if the war de- < partment were even able to furnish the supplies. and we would have asked permission to use the rifles and am. intuition now in use in the French and British armies. All four divi- sions would have sailed and two would have been on tho firing line by Sept. 1, the time at which the secre- tary of war has announced that the assembly of the selective draft army is to begin. About one-half Of our men. at least of those in the first di- seen military service.
 "Aa p0od Arnorica1, ni<lzan~ x,a low ally obey the decision of the com. mander In chief of the American army and navy. The men who have volun. teered will now consider themselves absolved from all further connection with this movement. The funds that have been promised will be treated as withdrawn and applied to other pur- poses. I, therefore. direct that this statement be sent to the leaders in the various states who have been rais- ing troops and that it be published.
 Our sole aim is to help in every way in the successful prosecution of tho war, and we most heartily feel that no individuals personal interest should for one moment be considered save as 1t serves the general public interest.
 Claims Wilson Has Erred.
 T wish respectfully to point out certain errors into which tho presi- dent has been led in his announce ment. He states that the purpose was to give me an Independent com. mand.' In my last letter to the sec- retary of war, I explicitly stated that if were given permission to raise m army corps of two divisions to be put under the command of some generate like Wood. Pershing. Barry, or Kuhn, I desired for, myself only tho posi. tion of junior among the eight bri- gade commanders. would not have been Independent would have been in precisely tho position of all the other brigade commanders except that I would have ranked after and been subordinate to the rest of them.
 The president alludes to our pro- posed action as one that would have m effect politically but not contri- outing to the success of the war and l 10 representing . policy of personel ! of advantage I wish l but exnphatically to deny l hat any political considerations what. l ever or any desire for personal grati- ! lcation or advantage entered into our calculations. Our undivided pur.
 
 the success of the war. know noth- 1 ing whatever of the politics of the immense majority of the men who came forward and those whose poli- tics I do know include as many demo- crats as republicans. My purpose was to enable the government to use as tho men who would not bs under the selective draft, who were it for immediate service, and the great majority of whom would not otherwise be used at all.
 .'As above pointed out, all four di- visions, if the war department would equip them, would have been sent to the aid of our hard-pressed allies be- fore tho training of the selective draft army was even begun. and they would not have been put into the firing line until the French or British military authorities deemed them fit.
 'The president says in effect that to comply with our offer would be from the military stand point, and he adds that the regular officers whom I have asked to have associated with me are some Of the effective officers of the regular army who cannot possibly be spared from the duty of training regular troops. One of the chief qualifications for military command is to choose for ones associates and subordinAtes the most effective officers.' and this aual- lfication the president thus states that I possess. As far as for my withdraw Ing them from the much more press- Ing and necessary duty of training the troops wish to point out that l hao asked for about fifty regular officers
 
 for the frst division. This would be only about one-tenth of the number who will 70 with General division, which the prest- | dent announced is to be composed ex- clilsixelx of rAgularH. ThAfafQrA tho