Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-06
ARMY PLAN CALLS
FOR 100000 MEN
WITHIN FIRST YEAR
Regular Army and National
Guard to Be Filled to
War Strength at Once.
WILL BE DRAFTED UNLESS
VOLUNTEERS ENLIST
BY Late Summer Want First
100000 of Force Between
l9 and Is in Service.
BY sELECTIvE CONSUMPTION
Bill Prepared by General Stan and
approved by President for Sub.
mission to Congress.
WILL BE DRAFTED UNLESS
VOLUNTEERS ENLIST
BY sELEcrIvE CONSUMPTION

fHy Associated Press
WASi'INGTON. April 5.--Iiow the
government plans TO raise Il war army
of ionh.o 600 men within a year. and OF
c.oo"coc within two years. was dis.
closed uron the passage Of tho war
resolution by tho House
\ bill prepared by tho general staff
and approved by tho President for sub
mission To Congress provides for the
immediate filling up of tho regular
army and National Guard to war
strength OF more than 100000 by draft.
unless enough volunteers enlist quick
~. and for bringing into the service
by lat, summer of the first 100000 Of
tho ne" force OF young men hctwccn
The ages of nineteen and twcnty-h hvc
years. ~ he called 10 the colors by Sc
loctive con.cription
In drafting i.s program. tho staff
recognized tho fact that the United
States must atari at the beginning
and train FIRST an army of 100000 Off
GERS and noncomnisSioncd officers to
undertake the training OF tho thous-
nds Of youth who will enter the ser
vice with no notion Of military duty
or iifc
TO DIVIDE ENISTING
REGIMENTS INTO NEw ONES
Expansion OF the present regular
army 10 its full war strength OF "s7.ooo
enlisted men and ll.100 officers. means
many new regiments Of all arms TO
he created by dividing existing rcgi-
mcuts. and filling each half TO war
strength with volunteers or conscrip,s.
The National Guard regiments. nil OF
which can be called into tho Federal
service under existing law, will have
approx imatciy 327.o00 men and iO.300
officers at strength. No new rcgi-
,nents OF the guard would be organized
aud the full limit Of tho national de-
fensc act would he invoked To wipe
out any distinction between Federal
and state forces. These two steps
would provide total force OF 5li.ooo
men. and $4,000 oiiicerI 10 he supple
meEted by a recruit, organization for
each unit; making an additional 100000
men under training, but 10 be held in
reserve TO fill gaps in the active army
ss they occurred.
For fvc months. these expanded
forces will he subjected to training Of
a character hitherto unknown in this
country. simultaneously. the reGistra-
nineteen and twenty-five will h. car
ricd out with Federal. State and muni-
cipa! authorities co-opcratinG
ASSEMBLED FOR TRAINING
ny EARLY N SEPTEMBER
In Ausus, or carly in September the
drSt 100000 Of this new army. COM
posed exclusively Of young men. sum-
moned TO the colors under the princi-
p,e OF universal military service. with
those supporting dependents o. needed
h~ the nation In civil life exempted
would he assembled for training.
From the regulars and National Guard
regiments would he drawn 100000 spe
cjal!y selected officers and noncommis-
stoned officers, who would organize.
train and command the unIts OF the
new army
\ year from now a second increment
o. 100000 youths would he called out,
another 100000 officers and noncom
missioned officers would be drawn from
the regulars the National Guard
forces or from the first section Of the
new army. 10 officer and train the
second section.
By that time the machinery that had
hecn built UP would provide enough
trained officers and noncommissioned
officers TO train 100000 or more men
At a time. The War Department hill
proposes TO authorize now only the
Z nrst two classes OF the new army.
making total OF more than 2.000o 600
trained troops who would he available
possibly within n year and 4 half. or
in two years at most.
EQUAL SUM NEEDED
ron SUPPLIES FOR ARMY
The sum OF nearly $4,000. 900 900,
asked OF Congress 10 carry out this
program. deals only with the first year
of preparation. Behind it stands the
need Of an equal sum for reserve sup
plics OF ammunition, cannon and
other war materials II the army is to
be employed in actual war.
staff officers regard the plan pro-
posed as tho most effective that could
be worked out to meet the present
emergency. They regard the expansion
OF the regular army and the bringing
of both that force and the present
regiments OF the guard 10 fun war
strength as vital. since for five months
they expect to employ these agencies
as huge school from which trained
officers and noncommissioned officers
can he turned out. The staff bill. di-
vided into seventeen sections, makes
the following provisions:
Section l--For the immediate eXpan-
sion OF the regular army as described
with all vacancies thereby created in
the commissioned rank 10 he filled by
provisional appointment.
Section 2---For the drafting into the
Federal service OF tho full strength of
the National Guard and National Guard
90 CONTINUED on Third Pase0