Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-10-10
WAX DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES PLAN
 FUR NEW FORCES Sixteen White Divisions and One Negro Division to
 be Organized. KEEP ME NFROM SAME SECTION TOGETHER, Ghnrtace 0f National Guard Divisions Make Necessary Readiustmrnt oi Forces-Camp Pike to he Triin-
 ing Ground for Big Area,

WashiHgtoH. Ct. 9.-Orders issued today to commanders of National army cantonments disclosed for Inc first time the war departments com plete plans for training and organiz- ing the first half million men of the National army.
 Shortage of men in three National guard divisions in the South-the 30th 31st and 39th-coupled with decision to form a new National army division of negro troops has made necessary readjustment of forces at 15 of the 16 contonments The geo. graphical complexion of three Nation al army divisions will be charnged as result.
 General Bliss, chief of staff. in an explanation of the orders. said.
 Bliss Explains Plan,
 The selective men that are now being gathered into the 16 National army cantonments will be used to form the first 50o,000 men authorized ill the act of congress, approved May IS, 1917, and to fill up the National guard divisions to practically the izaton. The balance of the 6S7.O00
  ment the voluntary enlstments for the special and technical troops. "The force of 500000 men will be organized into 16 white divisions and one colored division. One white di- vision will be organized at each of the Is National army cantonments, and the units of the colored division will be organized at various canton ments where the number of col0red troops is sufficient to organize di- yisiOnal unit.
 Instead of concentrating all of the colored men in the few canton ments of the Southern states, the pol icy O. the war department will be to distribute them more or less evenly thruoIc all of the 16 National army cGntOnmentS
 In the Southern states whose quo tas go to tae cantonments at Column bia, s. C.; Atlanta, Ga, and Little Rock. Ark.-Camps Jackson, Gordon and Fike-the number of white men reQuired to fill Up the National guard divisions furnished by those states Is so great, and the proportion of ne SrOeS to whites in the population so great that it has been found physical ly impossible to organize three Ma tiOual guard and three National army divisions at full strength from the white quotas from these states, and. therefore, the war department has decided to take all of the white men from these states. both National guard and National army, and organize them into four full strength divisions three National guard and one National army. This army division will ne organized at Camp Jackson from the men left over at Camps Jackson, Gordon and Pike after the three Ma tional guard divisions-30th, 31st and 39th-have been filled up to strength.
 Camp Pike Diyisi"n.
 At Camp Gordon, after it's white quota has been transferred to the National guard and to Camp Jackson. there will be organized a National army division of white men drawn from Camps Evans, Upton, Dix, Meade and Lee. and at Camp Pike, af- ter it's white quota has been transferr- ed to the National guard at Camp Jackson, will be formed a National army division made up of surplus white men drawn from Camps Sher- man, Custer. Grant, Taylor, Dodge, Funston and Travis.
 This plan, tho somewhat different from the one originally adopted by the war department of forming com plete National army division eXclu- sively of men from each of the Ma tional army areas. is in full compll- ance with the spirit of the law of May IS, because under it each National army division still represent a distinct geographical area, the one at Camp Jackson being made up entirely of white men of the extreme southern states. the one at Camp ordon made Up entirely from the surplus of the extreme eastern states, and the one at Camp Pike being made up from the surplus white men of the great mid dle western section. On the other hand, the colored division will be made up of representatives from ev- cry part of the nation, and will be a truly national division. Also. under the plan. it is possible to fill each National guard division with white men from the same geographic area