Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-11-17
DECENTRALIZATION
OF HOME FORCES
WILL Be PROMPT
Orders Already Issued for
Mastering Out 200,-
900 Troops.
PLAN TO RELEASE 10000
MEN FROM ARMY DAILY
Will Make Camps Available for
Troops Returning From
Overseas.
GREAT WELCOMES ANTICIPATED
Provision Will BE Made, When Pos
sible, for Parades OF Divi-
sions I'm Home Cities.
PLAN TO RELEASE 10000
MEN FROM ARMY DAILY
GREAT WELCOMES ANTICIPATED
fBy Associated Press. I


WASHINGTON. November 16.-Or-
ders have been issued. General March
announced to-day, for the gradual de-
mobilization OF all troops now in this
country.
Demobil!zation will be IN the follow
inG order: First. development ba,tai-
ions. sevcnty-one in number. and com
prising sSl93 men: second. consc,en-
tious objcctors not under arrest; tnird.
spruce production division fourth.
central training schouIs FOR officers.
with some notifications: hf,h. United
States guards, now numbering $4,000
pot briSades. eighth. replacement
units; ninth. conbat divisions.
-ah nheTe ere are no" in the United States
March said. Orders which VIII result
In tho immediate uemobuizatIon OF
100000 men are already issued. and
the next two weeks.
When the reduction plan is under
M fuii operad1ion sd ION the chiei Of STAFF cX
released from the irny.
WILL PARADE DIVISIONS
IN THEIR HOME CITIES
Regarding the return of the troops
In France. General March said the or
der in which the divisions viii be with
drawn is being left TO General Per
ching. 1t l. the intention OF the War
ticaDie, TO return each division 10 the
locality from which the majority OF
its men came and 10 parade the divI-
sion in adjacent clics so that the
people mar have chance TO give Mt
tng welcomes.
Orders paays been ,cabied to General
Pershtng TO begin the return $at once
OF AZ casuais, Eick and wounded, who
can be moved. and convalesccnts \
begin Immediately to cross -ihcAt-
lantic-
Camps at home will be cleared out
to prepare for the return OF The ex-
pedi:ionary forces and the general in.
dicated that the process would be cx-
bbediihefd' pc tee, unit of regular troops will
police. it in preparation for the arrival
OF the overseas units.
Because OF its unusual composition.
General March said, and its brilliant
record at the front. the Forty-second
CRainbow) Division viii be given spe-
cial consideration in. the demobliza-
ton. me purpose OF the department
was not outlined specifically, but the
IMPRESSION was gained that the dlvi. :.
sion N~ill be paraded in Washington
beforsr II is mustered out.
STEPS TAKEN FOR
ORGANIZING PERMANENT ARMY
Steps already lave been taken to-
ward the orsanzation OF the perma-
have been or viii be offered an hon.
orable discharge from the cmcrgency
enlistment sis,r and an imm ,diate re EN-
y. y r.
Tough OF one month will be given as
an incentive to rc-enlistment.
IL "';ss announced that Congress
? would be asked TO give each man dis
charged from the army rcgurdlcss, of
whether he re-enlists. a bonus OF one
month's salary. General March point
cd out also that all soldiers are entitled
under the law to wear their uniforms
for three mouths after discharge. This
VIII make less difficult the Immediate
task OF supplying civilian clothing TO
the demobiliZed army.
The return Of commissioned personnel
OF the army TO CIVILIAN life, General
March said Will be erected by dividing
the present list of "fhcers into three
classes. those wfo desire commissions
willing to held themselves available
for future service Il: reserve officers
and those wi,o desire honorable dis
charge from the service.
instructions have been issued TO the
army stan corps to carry out reduc-
ton In their commissioned and enlisted
personnel lists. keeping pace with The
reduction of the line forces.
General Pershing has been directed
h,s forces; showing the names OF every
man killed or wounded or missing up 70
II a. NJ, November II. General March
said he would not hazard an estimate
as to the final total
Replying to Il question as to the nun-
ber of American prisoners in Germany.
is showed 5,73S
ORGANIZING ATLANTIC
PORTS TO HANDLE TROOPS
c,;stIants Atlantic ports from Boston to
are being organized to handle return
ing troops. and it is possible that
rorts soutli Of Charleston will be used
Tie question of final disposition of
the great cantonments is being studied
General March said. and no decision
has been reached. New construction
already largely has been stopped.
General March sketched the Official
line held by the allied armies and the
Americans along the west front when
the fighting stopped. The front held by
the First and Second American Armies
at that hour measured ifty-two miles.
OF the American forces General March
said:
1T had reached its highest point, of
military excellence on the day the
lighting stopped and had endeared
itself to the hearts of the American
people"
Discussing the rehabilitation plans
with Senators at their weekly confer
once to-day, War Department officials
said Secretary Baker planned to stop
al movement of additional troops to
Euro with the exception. of surgical
units.