Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-17
1t Will BE as Part of the Organized
Army of Country IL
He Goes.
POWER TO DIRECT
Compelling Reasons for Not Putting
Aside Plans for Sending Army OF
100000 Men to Europe to Conccn-
tratc on the Proposed Expedition

s. did example IF American patriotism,
S but for reasons best known to the
8 best men IN tho United states Army
s. upou whose advice and Judgment IL Is
h absolutely necessary for President Will
son and Secretary Baker to rely now
3 adays. the thought OF a Roosevelt OK
II petition Immediately might just as
+ we'll he dismissed. There isn't going
ii to he any such thing. at least not this
Il year. Theodore Roosevelt may get to
g Franco as a soldier. possibly a
triEadsor- general. but he'll get there
I n part Of the organized forces OF
the United States Army. trained and
disciplined along with other units OF
American citizens In war of de-
4 mocracy, there should he no favoritism:
4 but there are also other considerations
/. which prompt the government. that is.
: the executive branch of II. To carry on
the war with an eye To the part the
] whole United states is 10 play. and not
i to the effective disposition OF any
, particular Individual. no matter how
exalted his rank.
!. PRESIDENT HAS FINAL.
SAY AS TO EXPEDITION
Congress. to be sure. has made pro-
vision for four volunteer divisions, but
President Wilson IS still commander
+, and such things as military strategy
are constitutionally within his power
TO manage without interference The
House and Senate may authorizes new
regiments and divisions but the Score
tary OF War. at tho direction of the
President. can say when and how and
where the forces designated shall go.
The Evening Post correspondent Is
revealing no military secrets in say
ing that 10 send Theodore Roosevelt
TO Franco as the head Of his privately
recruited army is regarded by the men
who will decide the question finally as
about az unihinkable. considering tho
available equipment and supplies and
plans for the sustcnancc OF tho great
army OF the United States expects
eventually to send to France. az il
would he TO announce to the world. and
thereby to Germany, that America will
postpone her effective blows in the
present war from nine months hence
to fifteen months hence. or nearly two
years hence.
That in fact. is the alternative in
VOWED in the Roosevelt problem. Shall
g the United States suddenly abandon it's
plans for sending oonScript army Of
100000 men 10 Europe and. concentrate
on the Roosevelt expedition OF $4,000
8 men: No American who wants to see
the force of the United states cffcc-
lively and efficiently in action on the
y French battle front would be shouting
for a Roosevelt expedition if lie knew
what a disruption Of war plans II
would mean.
Here are tho reasons why Theodore
Roosevelt will not lead n volunteer
division in France until after the
regular army of the United States has
been called for:
|. There is not enough equipment
available now, or likely 10 he this year.
for the new conscript army, in excess
of that being furnished to tho entente
allies. To divert equipment for the
Roosevelt divisions would delay by
sevcra! months the formation of the
larger and more important army of
100000 10 hc raised by CONSUMPTION.
officers for which arc now being
trained in ssyt'ral safnps
>. The Officers Of the tinted states
Army who would have 10 he set aside
10 train tho Roosevelt expedition would
leave the bigger army pf CONSUMPTION
citizens without competent body Of
officers ~ least 700 officers would be
required. and they are too valuable TO
the regular army 20 be spared
: Unless property ofliccred and
trained the Roosevelt force would h.
slaughtered At the front by The Ger
mans who, no doubt would take par
ticu!ar delight IN putting their hes,
troops against the division that was
sent tOr moral effect" Tho ofron, u,,
public opinion in The T-nitot states nc
who!.=ai, losses might nroyo .
action. Tho administration yould ba,,..
to bear tho RESPONSIBILITIES nor only H.,
Va. a..
but for the Gomoraiizin- effects which
followed a similarly bold I'm, fon,ba,,,.
waste ~ brave men al M. I,s,raar.,l.
There is no, tonnage oun,iVi, .,
take the 10000 Roosevelt forces urross
and the conscript army nss,upfn. mn,
no American troons iurludirr ,h.
Roosevelt Volunteers were n,rn,i,tcJ
10 leave this country un,u nrorcrr,.
trained Inasnuch ay training for ,b.
two armies would occur simultaneous
~. tho war pcpartmcn, ,cn,,id no, b.,