The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-05-19
J. s. TROOPS ARE
 ORDERED ID FRANCE

Continued from Page One)
 be carried by the press other than
 the official bulletins given out by
 the war department relating
 thereto.-
 General Pershing has been in Wash ington some days. He was personally
 summoned by Secretary Baker from the southern department, which was under his command until tonight's order was issued The man who led the expedition into Mexico and handled this difficult task with such Judgment and skill to win for him the complete confidence of the
 President and his advisers, has worked hard on plans for the expedition to France. He has been in daily conference
 with Secretary Baker, Major General
 Bliss, acting chief of staff, with depart
 ment officials cooperating in the prep aration of the forces he will lead against the Germans. and also with Lieutenant
 General Bridges, head of the military section of the British mission, and vet eran of the battlefields of France. TO SELECT BEST OFFICERS Nothing that either French or British officers have been able to furnish in the
 way of information has been lacking and there is every indication that the regular forces which will compose the expeditionary division are being selected with greatest care. No inkling of the plans for that di- vision have been allowed to leak out.
 1t is known, however, that orders have already gone forward to officers of tried judgment and long experience notifying
 them to prepare for foreign service,
 The war in Europe has developed many new phases of battle not heretofore known in military science. Artillery has decided the fate of many battles and every army has doubled and trebed it's guns, both in size and number For this reason it was thought likely that the expeditionary forces would include a dis proportionate number of artillery troops
 and be backed by a solid wall of guns when it comes to grips with the enemy. NUMBER NOT DISCLOSED
 The number of men in the expeditionary force has not been disclosed A division
 at war strength, however, totals more than 25,00O men of all arms and the "ap- proximate' division of the war depart
 ment's statement probably will exceed that figure.
 General Pershing, republican in poli- tics, was a brigadier general when he led the forces into Mexico in pursuit of the bandit Villa His work at that time | won for him selection by his brother general officers as a major general and | the CnOlce was nearuly lnQOrSeQ Dy the l war department and President Wilson l In his explanation of his reasons for not availing himself of the so-called | Roosevelt amendment to the army bill, MT. Wilson has brought out sharply the points made against that amendment by army officers, regardless of their polit- 1 ical leanings or their regard for MT. l Roosevelt himself
 | Many officers who are warm admirers of the former President, have unhesitat- ingly condemned his proposal to raise a volunteer army corps or division on the 1 ground that it would drain the regular
 service of men vitally needed to train the
 millions that must be whipped into fight
 ing trim in all too brief a time.
 WANTED WOOD
 i The list of regular officers MT. Roose- velt desired to take with him has been | the subject of much speculation and com ment Because of the old association in 1 Spanish war days between Maj-Gen. Leonard Wood and MT. Roosevelt it has | been regarded as virtually certain that General Wood was the former President s l selection for supreme command of the | force.
 l Under the plans of the war department, | General Wood by reason of his great experience in mobilization problems, his
 unfailinG energy and enthusiasm, has been assigned the hardest task of any gen. eral officer. He will direct, as comman- der of the southeastern department, the mobilization and training of 12 divisions or more than 300, 900 men among whom
 without question will be those who will be first selected to follow General Pershing' s forces to France
 | In his proclamation under the draft bill. I the President, declaring establishment of | the selective conscription system a new | thing in our history and a landmark in
 our progress" enjoined the nation to ap- proach the day of registration in thought | ful apprehension of it's significance" 'It is not an army that We must train l for war; said the proclamation, ''it is a
 nation. To this end our people must draw close in one compact front against com mon foe. But this cannot be if each man pursues a private purpose. All must pur- | sue one purpose.
 l "The nation needs all men; but it needs ! each man, not in the field that will be most pleasure to him, but in the endeavor | That will best serve the common good" EVERYONE TO SERVE | Those who remain to till the soil, the | President pointed out. and others who | help Keep alive the vital processes of the nation, are to be no less a part of the army than those who actually take the field. Every country in the great war, | he said must be a nation in arms for the scale of war has become so great that armies have been replaced by nations | in arms
 Tt is in no sense a conscription of the unwilling" the President said, it is | rather selection from a nation that has volunteered in mass. It is no more a 1 choosing of those who shall march with l the colors than it is selection of those | who shall serve an equally necessary and devoted purpose in the industries that lie 1 behind the battle line"
 Will Visit Richmond Washington, May 1S.-Foreign Minister ! Balfour and a large number Of the British l mission marty will pay a visit of ca1lrt esi