Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-05-08
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.

shingtOn.-American troops will
go to Europe in short order. This is
the logic of the whole situation and
every army man, whether an enemy or
friend, knows it. 1t cannot be a
secret to anybody except the unsophis-
ticated civilian.
If anyone expects TO see troops
raised in June delay their departure
for Europe until the following spring,
expectation will be disappointed. Our
troops will receive large part OF their
training just back Of the lines both on
the East and West in Europe, for there
is no thought that American soldiers
are to contine their activities solely
to the fields in France.
There are $4,000 American soldiers
ready today for the final training with
in sound of the firing in Europe. Two
months in such places as the British
troops trained for the fight will pre-
pare at least two American divisions
for actual conflict. The men compris-
ing these divisions know all the pre-
liminary game.
Men with military knowledge appre-
ciate the fact that if green troops are
given years training in America be-
fore being sent to the front, they will
have overstayed their time by half a
year. Military lessons learned during
the present war and in part during pre-
vious wars, if they are put to service
as they will be, will result in the quick
dispatch of a small but effective or
ganizatiOn to the European battlefelds,
added to from time to time by other
increments as they are prepared for
the final training for battle.
Would Not Send All at Once.
No one ought to be led to believe
that the United States intends to raise
u million men and to send them across
the water all at once, thereby inviting
sea disaster on a huge scale and de-
laying the participation of American
troops in the battle game until it may
be too late for them to be of saving
service.
From time to time during the next
year. if war shall continue, the coun-
try can expect to see detachments of
American troops sent successfully
across the water under convoy. Many
of the men who will enter the service
have seen previous military training.
They will be ready for the last train
ing back of the lines far in advance of
the men who never before have toted
a rifle or executed a squad right"
Can Supply the Ammunition.
There is the matter, of course, of
the supply of troops and it may be said
that If we send men over we are in
a condition to keep the timber chests
and the caissons of the artillery filled
with shells and the belts of the infan-
try and of the machine guns filled with
cartridges. The United States is in a
condition today to supply the neces-
sary ammunition, and more of it as the
need arises to considerable force of
men.
If $4,000 troops go to Europe within
a month, as is likely, they will not
want for supplies of every kind so
long as the lanes of approach can be
kept open, and this our navy unques-
tionaOly can attend to.
Prior to the sending of q second
expedition there will be ample time to
provide its equipment and a cOntinu-
Gus flow of ammunition. Our factories
are in good shape, not only to supply
quickly American needs but allied
needs. When the men are ready they
will go and it will not take as long
to make them ready as some people
seem to believe.
Absolutely green troops must be
obedience, self-reliance, guard duty,
company and battalion drill before
they are sent aboard. but this can be
done in four months time. With q
supplementary training of from two to
three months under semi-battle condi-
tons in France or with the Russians
on the eastern front, these men will be
ready for the fighting line and in less
time than most Americans seem TO
think is to be needed to give them their
preliminary drills in this country. The
man who enlists now will get into Eur
Ope long before he has any idea will
be the case.
First Line of Defense.
Coast guard ships of Uncle Sam
out on the lonely seas are pa
trolling their ports and doing senti-
mel duty for the United States. In a
way these cutters of the old revenue
service form a first line of defense for
the battleships, the cruisers, and the
deStroyers, and for the cities of these
United States.
The cutters not only are Sentinels,
but they are fighters. OF course they
cannot contend with the great ships of
an enemy'S navy, nor with the smaller
armored craft, but they can do valiant
service against submarines. More
over, with their wireless they can flash
instant signals of warning to all the
warShipS near shore, to all the navy
yards and TO all the coast service sta
tons of the home land.
Nobody knows just where the rev.
enue cutters are. but everybody knows
that they are where their commanders
believe that they best can do their