Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1917-03-01
PLAN MOBILIZATION
Of CIVILIAN ARMY
War College Heads Prepare for
Handling Of Great Vol.
unteer Force.
RAPID TRAINING PROPOSED
Special Attention Given to Selection Of
Officers Qualified by Expert.
ence to Lead Men
Properly.
RAPID TRAINING PROPOSED

Washington.--T war college di
vision of the general staff of the Unit.
ed States army has complete plans
prepared for the mobilization of II citi
zcns' army. These plans were com.
pletcd some time ago in anticipation
of the time when the United States
might he called upon TO enter into
hoSfililics against Il tirst-cass power
These plans were based, it is said, up.
on the possibility that the first call
for volunteers might he for 1000, ,OOO
men. The war college recently pre-.
pared an official paper dealing with
the raising of volunteer army.
"under existing laws and under con-
temporancous conditions Herewith u
says the war college, ''it has hereto
fore been assumed that in the event of
a war with iirst-class power the
United States would require not less
than half Il million of men for the first
line, behind which could be prepared
the greater army Of citizen soldiers
upon whom our main reliance for M
tiOnal defense Is conditiOnally placed"
Subject to Presidents Call.
The organization of volunteer
armies can only be undertaken follow
ing the presidential proclamation
stating the number needed, and on
this subject the war college says:
volunteer forces may be raised, or
ganizcd ana maintained only during
the existence or imminencc of war,
and only after congress shall have all-
thorizcd the president to raise such
forces. Congress could, however, by
legislative enactment, authorize the
president TO raise such forces in time
Of peace.
when so authorized. the president
Will issue his proclamation, stating the
number of men desired for each arm,
corps, or department, within such linn
Its as may be fixed by law. 1t Is proc
able that the proclamation will also re-
cite the causes that make the call
necessary and will state that the en-
listed men shall be taken, as far as
practicable, from the several states,
territories and District of Columbia In
proportion to the respective pOpula-
lions thereof.
"Eollowing the call of the president
for volunteers, the secretary of war
notifies the governors, etc, as In Il call
for militia, informing them of the quo
tn for their respective states, the exist.
Ing militia organizations that will be
received into the volunteers, the new
organizations that ii Is desired to
raise, and the maximum and minimum
strength of organizations"
All terms of cnlisimcnts, 1t Is point
cd out. "will be the same as that for
the regular army, exclusive of reserve
periods and no person can be en-
listed for the volunteer forces "who
Is not effective and ablc-bOlicd," and
who Is not within the ages stipulated
for that service under the Inv as II
exists at the time of the presidents
call. Neither can any man be en-
listed who does not speak the English
language, while persons under eight
cen years Of age can be accepted only
with the signed approval and consent
of the parent or guardian Of that per-
son.
Recruiting, Rendezvous and Depots.
The war college continues:
"With view to recruiting and main
tanning all organizations of the land
forces as near their prescribed
strength as practicable, the necessary
rendezvous and dcpots will be cstab
lishcd by the secretary of war and
will be directly controlled by him. Here
the recruits will be enlisted and
trained. For the purposes of instruc-
tiOn and discipline, the troops at the