Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-05-01
BOARD WOULD SEND
NATIONAL GUARD To.
FRANCE IMMEDIATELY
Commission Is Anxious to
Have Our Soldiers Train I'M
der Battle Conditions, In
stead of Here at Home

WASHINGTON, April 3o.-It will be
only matter of few days before Unit
ed States militia units now modified in
this country are on their way to the
| European front, and less than six weeks
before they are actually embattled with
the Germans, if the allies urgent rec
ommendation to the American governs
ment today meet the approval of the
| administration.
! 1t became known today that the ais
| lies want American troops in patches
| of several hundred to go at once 60
Europe aboard every ship that sails.
This will obviate necessity for the
concentration of enormous masses Of
men in one place and the Gripping OF
food and munitions ships to carry
| them.
The allies want modified national
guard units which were at the border
| because they feel these men wers
equipped by their border work to go
at once to the western front and train
within sound of the big guns, so they
will be tempered for battle in not less
| than five weeks.
These American troops, the allies
| have assured this government, will not
| be fused with French, English, Russfanj
| Indian or other troops, but will fight
as American units-under their own
colors.
The allies recommendations today
were intended to wean this country
away from the idea that before Ameri{
can troops go abroad they must be
| trained here for months.
They pointed to the failure of the
one and one half years training system
of Canada
Canadian troops after this long
course, went to Europe in large units
and while considered ready to fight, had
to go through the five weeks intensive
| training within sound Of the guns just
the same.
The allies idea is to take small Amerk
lean units and specialize them, as mu
be done in this war. -
This specialized course under the guns
is vitality necessary. the allies point out,
| because they can develop bomb squads.
sappers. snipers, trench experts and 9TH
| er highly specialized groups from each
/ unit in few weeks.
The failure Of the Canadians after theif
year and half training came in the fact
that there was not bomber, sapper or
other expert among them They had
been drilled to open. or partially GOV.
cred. mass battle tactics.
! These American units will be sand
wiched in on the fighting front between
seasoned fighting groups and would be
gradually absorbed into the front line of
attack.
MORAL EFFECT ON GERMANS
Not only would this help our fighting
strength" said high ally commissions
er today, 'but 1t would have a most de.
pressing moral effect on the Germans
along the entire front"
The importance of this allied declaras
ton gathered credence from today's
activities among American ADMINISTERS.
ton officials.
Secretary of War Baker, the man who
would have active charge of dispatchine
American troops to Europe, was in con-
| ference with President Wilson at the
White House just before Viviani arrived.
The present attitude of the administered
ton, Secretary Baker said, was to post
pone the actual dispatch of troops to
France until the CONSUMPTION bill act
ually becomes law.
| The visit of Viviani and Joffre to the
| United States senate, was postponed for
| the time being for the same reason, II
| was believed.
when the urgent immediate need for
American fighting men at the front
has been threshed out and is more thor
oughly understood by the American con-
gress,", said the commissioner II am sure
it wills desire to hear a complete state
ment of the case by Viviani and Joffre."
Both commissions settled down to
their second week of conferences today
with preliminarieS cleared away and the
ground work laid for perfection of the
part the United States is to take in the
grand alliance for overthrow Of Prus-
sian autocracy.
NJ Viviani, head of the French mAs-
sion, accompanied by Ambassador Jusse-
rand, had an hours conference with
President Wilson. No announcement
was made about the meeting, but 1t was
understood the needs of France and the
fully discussed.
NJ viviani and Marshal Joffre were>to
have made a visit to the capitol today.
to meet senators and representatives,
but at the last moment the visit was
postponed until later in the week.
Members of the British commission
spent considerable time today comforting
with the various committees of the
Council of National Defense. Military
members discussed with munition and
manufacturers committee the needs OF
the allies for various war supplies and
means of kesPiDg them flowing con-
stantly toward the battlefields.
That an eXpeditionary force of some
description will be sent soon as this
government is physically able to pre-
pare it, is taken accepted fact IN
certain high circles.
Officially, Great Britain has not asked
this.
France has formally and strongly urg- :.
ed it through Marshal Joffre.
Great Britain, however, is known posi-
lively to be in thorough accord with the
plea of Marshal Joffre.
1t developed today that both England
and France have stressed the need Of
Americas food and money at once, but
hav avoided asking great numbers of
troops at once for fear of affecting the
course of President Wilson's conscrip-
ton bill in congress.
It is even thought possible-so great
is the European allies desire to have the
stars and stripes on the battle 1ine-that
Colonel Roosevelt himself might be the
man to put it there This obviously.
however. is mere speculation on the
part of those who speak unofhcially. -!
Definite settlement of this troop ques-
ton is expected shortly.
All our European allies, it became