The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-15
Leaders Believe 100000
Yanks Can Walk Thru.
America Plans 100000 Men in
France by June.
FORCE ISSUE ON WEST FRONT
Men Is to 45 Will Go to France
Before Next Summer.
Immediate Extension of Draft
Necessary to Victory.

Washington, Aug. 15.-In report
ing the administration man power bill
extending draft ages today. Chairman
Chamberlain disclosed to the senate
that General March had told the mill
tary committee it was up to the Unit
ed States to put enough men in France
to win the war on the western front
and had expressed the belief that four
million Americans under one COM
mander could go thru the German
lines whenever they pleased.
100000 in France Next June.
The report also revealed that the
new American war program calls for
eighty divisions, or something over
three million men, in France by June
80 next year, with eighteen more divi-
bions in training at home then.
Men IS to As to Go at Once.
All of the men called for active
service under the proposed new draft
ages-1S to 45-General March told
the committee would be in France by
next Iune, according to the program.
Secretary Baker informed the COM
mittee, the report said, that the presi-
dents policy called for concentration
of American forces on the western
front. including Italy. and that the
theory of the fighting in the future is
that we must force the issue and win
on the western 'front.'
Extension 1Or quick Victory.
Immediate extension of the draft
ages was declared by the army repre-
sentatives to be ir perative in order
that the United States may throwSits
full strength in the struggle and win.
IL the draft ages are fixed ct from
Is to As, General March said, the sys-
tenn of volunteer enlistment in the
United States army automatically dis
appears.
In his report Chairman Chamber
lain quoted extensively from testi-
mony before the committee by Sec
retary Baker. General March and
Provost Marshal General Crowder.
THE United States government"
General March is quoted saying,
has been asked by her allies to en-
was necessary very carefully to ascer-
tain whether we could go thru with it
or not and one of the features of this
enlarged rogram was providing men.
The desire of the administration is to
esta blsh limits both maximum and
minimum, which will accomplish this
program and at the same time disor-
Fanize the industries of the country
as little as possible.
Objec- Is To shorten War.
THE policy of the war department
is to put the maximum number of
men in France with the idea of
shortening the war. We found from
figures furnished by the provost
marshal general that we could embark
on program of so divisions in
France by June 80. 1919. with IS
divisions ct home. These divisions
consist roughly of 10000 men to a
division.
After prolonged study of the avail
able manpCwer of the Uniteo' States,
the provost marshal general showed
that it was necessary to drop to IS
years of sc and go to As in order
TO get the men to carry it thru. All
the men obtained under the proposed
change IN the draft law-approxi-
mately 2.3CO.o0O we expect to have in
France by June 80. 1919"
Men 1S to 20 Best Soldiers.
General March told the committee
that II was unqualifiedly in favor of
having the army composed of as
many young men as possible. Young
men between is and 20, he said, not
only do no. have many encumbrances
but thy are better fit physically
The president" said General
March, resuming his statement, has
finally announced that the American
military policy from this time on is
centered on the western front and we
have declined to be diverted from that
one thing. The war department has
now adopted this as a policy and 1t is
the policy of the United States that the
military program is to be centered in
France.
Only Way to Whip Huns.
1.-THE purpose of America is to fur
nish enough man power to whip the
Germans from now on. The only way
that Germany can be whipped is by
America going into this thing with her
whole strength
Then America has got to put
enough men over there to whip Ger
many?" asked Senator Kirby.
That is it in a nutshell" General
March replied. 1T is up to US to. win
the war and we can win 1t. How long
it will take will depend exactly upon
what we do. II we drag along with
this thing and put a small force over
there we will be playing Germany's
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