The Washington herald., 1918-11-06
YANKS
H0MEBY XMAS
Large Armies Necessary to
Guard Stores After
the War.

Gen. Pershing will be able to send
back 100000 American soldiers by
Christmas il the allied terms Of
armistice are similar to those ac-
cepted by Austria and If Germany
accepts the terms. There is reason
to believe that the President by
proclamation will declare that the
present emergency no longer eG-
lists" and will order the repatriation
of the American soldiers soon after
Germany has been made helpless to
renew the war.
For the most part the American
soldiers in France are enlisted for
the duration of the war, or as the
draft law reads, for the present
emergency" These men can be re-
turned to the United States when
the necessity of using them for
garrisonins duty no longer exists
An army OF sorne .strength.s known
to army men as the regulars" Is
enlisted for approximately seven
years.
Those in Action First to Return
Army officials appear to be
unanimous in the belief that the
soldiers who have seen the most
action will be the first to be re-
turned to this country. 1t is point
ed out that many troops have been
sent to France in the past three
months, who have never seen the
smoke of battle and these men are
anxious to be of some service to the
allies before being returned to their
homes. 1t is generally believed that
the armistice terms will call for the
garrisoning of center strategic
points on the Rhine and other points
by allied troops and that America
will be asked to share in this duty.
1t is an open secret that the pres
ent shipping facilities would be un-
able to transfer all the American
force in less than one year. For
that reason it is thought that the
very best that can be expected
would be the shipment of some 200,-
600 veterans whose presence would
do much toward making the cele-
bration of Christmas a notable one
this year.
Fail to Halt Draft.
As yet no orders have been is
sued by the General Staf or the
Adjutant Generals office which in
dicate that those sections of the
war program having to do with the
shipment of troops abroad have
been altered in any degree. There
is no change in the routine work
being carried forward by the Pro-
| vost Marshal General in arranging
for the calling up of more men for
selective service in the army train
/ ing camps.
A large army will be needed both
in this country and abroad for at
least a year in caring for and
guarding the great stores and store
houses gathered by the war max
ing administrations. There are
thousa nds of men now in the army
who are anxious to remain in the
service according to army officers
here and there is reason to believe
that for the most part men anxious
to return to their pursuits of civil
| life will be able to do so very
rapidly when the Presidential proc
lamation calling for the army's de-
mobilization is acclaimed.
Expect Germany to Accept Terms.
Great surprise would result in
well informed circles here If it was
found that the proposed German
armistice terms are not such that
they result in the disarmament of
Germany. The opinion is also gen.
eral that the terms will be accepted
at once. Under such conditions il
! is pointed out that the next step
bearing upon the future of the men
in the U. S. army service would be
the forwarding of statement
signed by Gen. Pershing and ac-
companied by advices from Col
House setting forth to the Presi-
dent the results of the America n
| intervention in Europe together
with the recommendation that the
army be returned to this country
and demobilized.