The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-26
Men the Big Need in France,
General Wood Asserts.
He Says Send Two and a Half
Million at Once.
KAN. COMMANDER OPTIMISTIC
1t Is Improbable That the Ger
mans Will Break Thru.
American Troops Must Have
More Air Equipment.
BY JAMES r. NOURsE.

Washington. March 26.-America
must have an army of 100000 men.
half of whom must be sent at once to
the western battle front of Europe.
This is the message which Maj Gen.
Leonard Wood brought from France
to the military affairs committee of
the senate and delivered to that COM
u,ittee in executive session Monday
afternoon. 1t may result in action by
the committee to speed up legislation
for raising the draft age and Otherwise
Increasing the nations armies.
The supreme need of the hour Cen
eral Wood told the committee. is more
man power The sooner an army OF
. 5OO 600 men is landed in France by
tho limited States, the sooner Will come
the end of the war. Every other CON
sideration should be laid aside, IN Cen
eral Woods opinion, to crowd trained
armies and their necessary supplle9
upon French soil.
So overpowering is this need lot
men, General Wood said. that aitho
there is no ordnance OF America
manufa cture on the dllIes - iii
british and French governments WI
h.. able to supply all the guns neeoeu
II America will only furnish the men
to handle them ,,..
General Wood praised highly the ma
tional army and expressed thF opli .!li
a
10, in the training camps should pc
disnatched to France Immediately ne
-o,oupced them as Nhole
Plr,1andjd bodv of soldiers whose oeVo-
lion to training had rendered 'Ne'A
ready for active service.
Put Five Million in Camps
TO take the places of these men
10 wood recommended I'M
NI,adiate drafts from the ehglLle reSis
t,ie,,te and raising of the drafs unit 50
49, here may be more men TO oI .i.
rom until five million are l"
training camps disco,,ra ee-
~. ~ the latest news of the Ger
~ offensiye. He said that the bIt
~ had fully prepared Tor IT. ai.i.o
they had not anticipated t I'D
T,o,Ild he so rapid or that they
he compelled to lose SO idr se
Der of guns. c,o,aral Wood
Nat while the Germans are ooiisea ~
make their advances over rousu'
Tor roads, the British nave the
'ort.,a of smooth territory over
conduct their withdrawal.
ad1-antage would aid the Brltlsn Illoie
r1av also be used by the retread.Ins
forces but not by the enemy
era1 wood was inclined to oeneNe LIS
advantage would al dine BRUSH M ~
I'D more if the Germans continued 70
ad,,ance into the battle swept area. ne
said he believed the British straleSS
would be TO permit the Germans "
penetrate as far as they can lnlo 80
territorv before beginning a counter
/ rust. W. ich may crush the enemy
and drive them back
Is Highly Optimistic
c.arara1 Woods view of the entire
e;tuation was highly optimistic ana ne
expressed himself to the committee as
being entirely satisfied of the success
of the allies in stopping the presehl
d,ive He praised the morale OF the
1ritisb and French who are in active
contact with the enemy ana SAID ne
vas much gratified to find the splen-
did shirt and courage of the Amen
cans. . a,,+ in
General Woods statement was with
respect to the airplane situation He
declared that there are 1000 Amerl-
can aviators in France but not slngie
American airplane for their use. inns
feature of the situation. he said, was
dishaa rtening He explained that
France and England have been per-
hitting the American aviators TO use
planes belonging to the British ana
french armies, but that the supply IS
not sufficient to provide for all the
needs.
In discussion of the Liberty motor
which was brought up by one of the
senators present, General WOOD sald
that in his opinion the Liberty plans
will be excellent for bombing pur-
poses but is not suited for combat He
favored the French motor and plane
a being more suitable for this work.
II the natter of ordnance, General
WOOD said that in spite of the fact
that Great Britain and France are
able to keep the United States sup
piled with all the guns and ammuni-
ton needed, there should Be no les
SEEMING of production by this coun-