The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-07
DENT WANTS HARMONY

The conference had to do with the draft classes of the bill, to which considerable opposition is expected at the capitol. MT. Dent said afterward that he could not forecast the sentiment of Congress, but, that he personally was prepared to sur render his own objections to compulsory service and do all in his power to secure
 harmony of action between Congress and she administration
 Plans have been laid for calling the full strength of the general staff to Washing ton to help in administration of the huge task of army building before the depart 1 ment. Only one-half of the authorized strength of the staff can now be on duty here under existing law. Congress is ex- pected to remedy this at once, however. Pending a decision by Congress on the 1 methods to be employed in raising the
 army, detailed scheme for appointment of new general office1 and getting highly efficient soldiers in bcommand of each regiment cannot be worked out.
 The basis for this work, however, has been handled by staff action.
 WIDE LATITUDE
 Wide latitude has been left the Pres ident in the selection of generals under the staff plan. They may be appointed from any part of the forces to be raised or from civil life. Up to and including
 
 sired by the military officials that men who have had recent experience in ham ding troops shall be selected
 With 32 infantry and four cavalry di- visions to be organized, there would be at least 3s major generals and three times that number of brigadiers to be selected and commissioned with colonels and ma jors in proportion. The grade of ma jor is the highest position for reserve off md nf ,foir f0r tTo 1 ional list of enlisted men.
 1 The creation of 16 training centers would provide for two infantry divisions at each post Presumably the center for the four cavalry divisions would be some
 where in the region of the Mexican bor- der. so that this mounted force can take over the border patrol work to a large extent, relieving the majority of the COCO regulars now assembled there.
 TO USE GUARD
 l With the calling out of the first 1 500,0 ,000 of the new army provisions
 would be made for a new complete
 division at each training center. the
 forces already there supplying the ir- structors and all other machinery Of i organization so that the half million
 young men could be absorbed into the 1 army structure with little disorder or | delay. No further steps toward cali ! ing out the National Guard will be i taken until Congress has acted. It is | proposed to draft the entire qua I'd | into the federal service, divorcing it ! from it's militia status at once instead 1 of summoning them under their dual I allegiance organizations. This can be done only with authority of Congress. i When that has been granted even the 1 6000O guardsmen now in the federal 1 service police duty will be drafted 1 formally so as to do away with any
 possibility of dual authority over them
 or restriction on their use
 PRESIDENTS STATEMENT I The Presidents statement follows: l ''The principle embodied in the leg 1 islation presented by the war depart ment to the military committees of l the Senate and House have my entire approval and it's specific recommends | tons embody the best Judgment of the 1 officers of the war department l 'It proposes to raise the forces nec- 1 essary to meet the present emergency 1 by bringing the regular army and the National Guard to war strength and
 by adding the additional forces which l will now be needed. so that the na- l tional army will comprise three ele- 1 ments. the regular army. the National Guard and the so-called additional
 forces of which a first 500.000 are to
 be authorized immediately and later