The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-07-28
Sending Troops Abroad

When Is tne .\ational Guard to go
abroad senator Lodge and sever al
OF his - uetu colleagues made Il
racket in the senate The other day
over Tie ;g.,5lS gang Of State troops
from that section TO camps IN the
South. Dotn Lodge and " eekS gave
Simmons an uncomfortable half nour
when the ldi,er had read into the
CongI eSsionai .,tcOTd an editorial
from The Boston Transcript on the
Willingness of The Massachusetts men
to go to North Carolina for training.
1t was a very patriotic and feeling
editorial in which the spirit OF New
England was euIogiZed and the sub
ordination of General Wood when
he was Danished TO a Southern post
was made 10 point moran. Senator
Lodge expressed mis- personal regard
for the Boston Transcript writer and
Appreciation of his abilities AMI eSpe-
cially of his loyalty To North Caro-
iina-for the Senator said this eN-
ponent of the spirit of New Eng
land" had gone to Massachusetts
from the Tar Heel State, and natur-
ally and as a praiSeWorthy sentiment
should be expected to depic' glowing
~ the history, attractions and entire
suitableness of Charlotte.
Still, neither Lodge nor Weeks.
both of whom have some title to be-
ing considered spokesman for Massa-
chusettS and an interest in repreSen-
ting its thought and the predictions
of its people, could see why the Mas
sachusettS troops should be ordered
South for training when they had in
their own State the most adequate
kind of d camp. The one reason ad-
vanced-that training camps in the
South could be used winter as well
as summer-could hardly apply. said
Senator Lodge; for While the War
Department keeps its plans Z deep
secret. it was generally reported and
understood that the National Guard,
seasoned by border service. would be
sent to France in the fall. Senator
Simmons said the Charlotte camp
would not be ready before Septem
Der l. Why troops from a climate
like that to be encountered in North
ern France should be ordered to the
South for few weeks and then
transported from warm climate in
TO a colder one was d mystery to the
Senators from States from Massa-
However, this may have been a
tempest in a teapot. The informed
and authoritative Army and Navy
Journal says army officers at Wash
ington are ''outspoken in their deprc-
cation" of stories that the National
Guard is to be in France before snow
flies. Officially, the only word is that
the American soldiers will go for
W.
nit" There are two things TO be
done before the movement OF troops
across the Atlantic on d large scale
is attempted. Railroad lines must
be built and equipped in France. 1t
has been estimated that 100 .000 tons
of track, millions of crosstieS. nearly
1000 locomotives and 50 600 cars
will have to be taken over and put in
running order before reinforcements
can be sent from the landing places
on the coast of France to Pershing
at the front. Twenty divisions from
America are generally regarded as
the force to be thrown against the
Germans on the long western front
Each division will require 100000
tons of shipping for its support.
The Army and Navy Journal de-
clares that some of the National
Guard organizations. and these
among the most efficient, will not go
with their divisions TO the mobiliza-
ton camps. but will stay in State
camps until they are ordered abroad.
What may be accepted as fact is
this: Months are yet to elapse be
fore an American army. as numbers
go in European warfare is on the
Hindenburg line. Railroad construc-
ton camps in France and the shin
building yards in the United States
must do their work first that the
lighting may be done afterward.-
News.