The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1918-12-11
KNEW HUNS WOULD
Be DEFEATED
Gen. March So Declares in Report to
War Department
HOW TROOPS WENT OVER

! Washington, Dec. 9.-The army
program of eighty divisions in France
by June 30, 1919, was embarked upon
with complete confidence that Ger
many could and would be defeated
during 1919 if the project was carried
out, Gen. March, chief of staff, de-
clares in his annual report to Secre-
tary Baker, made public Thursday.
That conviction was based on a com
prehensive study of the whole war
situation ordered by Gen. March i'm
mediately after he assumed his duties
at the head of the army last March.
After a study of the entire situa-
tlon,' the report says, "including as
accurate an estimate of the potential
strength of our allies on the western
: front and of the PROBABLE German
strength as was possible, | came to
the conclusion that the war might be
! brought to an end in 1919, provided
we were able to land in France by
June 80 of that year eighty American
! divisions, of strength of $780, 900
men.
"On July IS, 1913, l submitted to
you a formal memorandum, accom-
; panied by study of methods by
which the men could be Obtained, the
| supplies procured and an analysis of
the shipping which must be obtained
IN order &c accomplish this very large
military program. This was accom-
ranied by an estimate of the cost of
the proposed program.
"ln this study | recommend to you
the adoption, as the American pro
gram, of eighty divisions in France
ard eighteen ut home by June 30,
1919, based on a total of the AmeI.-
lean army of 4,850,000 men. This
Was approved by you and by the
President Of the United States ami
'dopted as our formal military pro-
gram. To carry this program inio
effect required the adoption by Con
!:rcss of change in the draft ages
so as to include men between tn: ages
nf eighteen and forty-live years, and
also created deficiency over .ha
enormous appropriations already made
by Congress of some $7,O00,OO0, 900
The presentation of the program t.
Congress, accompanied by the state
itcnt that this increase in the army,
# laws were passed by Congress-
which would make it effective, would
lead to success in 1919, produced
prompt and favorable consideration
fy that body.
Cup to the signing Of the armistice
troops were being transported to
.hat program. The results speak for
themselves"
The remainder Of the report is de-
voted to presentation Of the steps
it was found necessary to take to
build up an adequate general staff and
the announcement that complete
plan of reorganization FOR the army,
including the staff, is being worked
out.
81 have directed the divisions Of the
general staff concerned to study and
submit for your consideration a plan
for the reorganization of our army,
which will take advantage of our en-
roricnce in this war, which has
brought about many changes in Or
Ganization of all arms Of the service,
and has developed new arms not
known when the war started The air
aarvicc, the tank corps, the develop
ment of heavy mobile artillery, the
proper organization Of divisions, corps
armies, all will be set forth in the
scheme, which will be submitted to
with the recommendation that
It be transmitted for the considcr,,-
ton of Congress"
The modesty and gallantry OF the
individual American soldier in France
'is matter of ride to all Amcri-
cans" Gen. March declared, adding:
"Gen. P,rshing and his command
have earned the thanks Of tnc Amcr-
can people,"
The chief of staff also commcnd%
the work Of Gen. Bliss at Versailles,
which, he says, was Of the greatest
| vo 1np N tho Innortptpnt
Appended to the report is torse
chronology Of the operations Of the
American army in France end day
to-day sketch Of the campaign, begin
ring on April 2S, 1917, and conclud-
ing November II, 1918, when the
hostilitics ceased.