Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1918-11-21
NOW DEMOBILlzINC
u. S. ARMIES AT HOME
RELEASE 10000 DAILY FROM
CAMPS AS SOON AS MOVE
MENT UNDER WAY.

RELEASE 10000 DAILY FROM
CAMPS AS SOON AS MOVE
MENT UNDER WAY.
Movement of American troops
across the Atlantic has stopped en-
tirely and rehabilitation of troops
in cantonments and camps at home
is under way.
General March, chief of staff,
made this announcement today, out
lining the war departments plans in
answer to the questions the country
has been asking since the day the
armistice vas signed and it became
apparent that the war was over. He
said orders already issued would
send 100000 men back to civil life
within two weeks, and that when
the program was in full swing about
10000 would quit the army daily.
Fighting divisions of General
Pershing's army in France will be
demobilized as far as possible In
their home communities. The chief
of staff would make no prediction as
to when the first divisions would
start homo.
HONOR RAINBOW DIVISION.
II appears probable however, that
the flow of returning troops can be
in full tide before Feb. 1. Quarters
will be available for them at the
cantonments by that time.
Some officers regard 1t as possible
that certain divisions may be re-
called In advance Of the general re.
turn movement. General March in
dictated that the Forty-second (Rain-
bowl division, because 1t is COM
posed of men from twenty-six states
and in recognition of the fighting
record II has made in France would
be marked for special treatment.
The Twenty-sixth New England
National Guard) and the Forty-first
| (Sunset) divisions are in the same
class, so II would not cause surprise
, therefore, If these three organiza-
tions should be designated by Gen.
eral Pershing as the first to return.
With six weeks of 1918 left 1t is
possible they may be home before
New Years day.
NEEDN'T MAINTAIN ALL CAMPS
experimenting General March's
statement, Secretary Baker said 1t
would not be necessary to maintain
all the existing environments for de-
mobilization purposes and that a
study was now being made of those
desirable for that purpose. The
others, with all the divisional camps,
he indicated will be abandoned as
soon as the men now occupying them
have been mustered out.
I'VE have in the United States
now something like / 100000 men
and to muster out a force Of that
kind, of course, will take some
time" said General March. Each
man has to be examined physically
his final accounts made, 80 that the
men may get compensation they are
entitled to. Blank forms are being
shipped to the various camps for
use as these orders go into effect.
TO RELEASE 10000 A DAY
"Orders already issued affect 200,-
900 men. expect to muster them
out in two weeks. When the machine
is in full operation we expect to
release 10000 men day.
"In handling this problem Of de-
mobilization one of the features
which had to be considered was the
subsequent retaining of men for the
regular army. or what will be the
regular army when congress passes
laws reorganizing that army. When
the war broke out there were only
a limited number of such men In the
service and the great humber of
men who filled out these units were
men who voluntarily enlisted for the
period of the war. 30 We have Of
fered these men who came In for the
period of the war the option OF re-
enlisting IL they care to.
I'VE have offered an immediate
honorable discharge with Q furIough
Of one month on re-enlistment and
we propose to ask congress to give
every single man who has been hon
orably discharged one months pay.
whatever his Grade rs. as bonus.
DISPOSITION OF OFFICERS
Every man who is discharged
from the army Is entitled to wear
his uniform for a period OF three
months: that Is a very necessary
thing because the releasing to civil
life of 100000 or 100000 men
makes IL impossible to clothe IN
civilian clothes so great number.
"As men are discharged. We take
4
ficers who want to apply for COM
missions in the regular army will be
sidered; officers who want to
put themselves in class where they
can be used for future military op-
erations. will be offered commissions
in the reserve corps. The rest OF
them will be discharged.
II have cabled General Pershing
to return TO the United States on
troop transports all the men who are
casualties, sick and wounded who
are able to be moved and these men
will come in q steady flow across the
Atlantic before the larger number
come back as units.
MUSTER OUT NEAR HOMES
1--WE propose when the divisions
come back from France to have them
mustered out In the vicinity OF their
homes. The men from New England
will be put In Camp Devens. for In
stance, and we intend to have these
men parade in the nearest adjacent
towns 80 that the people can see
their own soldiers.
This scheme calls for the clear
ing out of the camps at homo. and
will leave In each one of these camps
unit of the regular army to police
II and take care OF II and mako II
ready for the troops az they como
back from France.
with reference to casualties In
the American expeditionary forces, !
cabled General Pershing to report In