New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-04
Half a Year Has Added
1,257,834 toU.S. Army
Reg,lar Force, Which Lacked 1873 900, Now Has War
Strength of 293 0OO-Guard Totals 449, 1874 and
Draft Unit, Which Parades To-day, $4,000

In Fifth Avenue to-day will march
the visible but almost incredible evil
dcnce of an army of nearly a million
and a half raised by a democracy in
half year. The motley column of
men who for the most part have had
no military training will represent
New York's share in the first draft OF
SOS. 900, which brings into service the
third line Of the army, the selective
service men.
Already there are between 100000
and 100000 in the army that was the
butt of German military eIerts in
April, the despair Of many good Amer
I leans and the subject of dubious dis
cussion among the Allies.
A nation which six months ago was
discussing whether it's navy would
really enter the conflict or whether
the entire country should merely be
organized as a vast workshop for the
Allies, with scarcely thought Of an
expeditionary force, will begin to real
ize, when these un-uniformed young
men stride down IN column Of patoons.
that il Is now not only a question Of
ships and supplies, but of men.
Strength Quietly Gathered
SO quietly and unobtrusively has
the military establishment OF the coun-
try been strengthened that knowledge
concerning it is scarcely more gener-
ally disseminated than that of the OK
peditionary force already on French
soil.
Entering the war with an army tha.
was short of its war strength Of $4,000
by $4,000 men and a Congress that
had dozed through speeches on the
HAY bill the Chamberlain bill and the
Scott bill. and finally had decided to
put the whole matter OF universal mil
itary training on the shelf for another
year. the country was unprepared for
the vigorous makeshifts that have been
used.
In four months, without a call for
volunteers such as was issued by Lin
coin and by Mckinley. more than $780,
600 recruits have been gained for the
army. exclusive of the Marine Corps,
which doubled its strength. By the
time the army was approaching war
strength, battalions having been cx-
banded into regiments, the National
Guard was mustered into Federal ser
vice.
There, too, recruiting had been going
on steadily and unostentatiously and
the Guard entered the Federal service
with 4l9,S34 men and 1908 officers, al
though IT had been said after the men
returned from the border that it's ranks
had been greatly depleted and could
hardly be filled again The minimum
war strength Of the Guard is $4,000
men and 10000 officers.
A rainbow division" made up Of
state troops from almost every part Of
the country, il IN training at Hemp
stead, Long Island. expecting early
orders sending the troops to France.
Il is reported that similar division
for quick service made up Of New Eng
land troops will be concentrated in
Massachusetts Sixteen environments
for the rest of the Federalized guard
are practically complete and a similar
number where the National Army will
be quartered, are almost ready.
Distribution of Guard
The guard will be distributed in can
comments as follows: Maine, New
Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut
and Rhode Island troops. at Charlotte,
y. c.; New York troops, at Spartan
burg, S. C; Pennsylvania troops, at
Augusta. Ga; New Jersey Delaware,
MARYLAND, the District of Columbia and
Virginia troops, at Admission, Ala;
North Carolina, South Carolina and
Tennessee troa0S At GreenyiIis. s c.