Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-08-21
General March Makes Report to
Military Committee, and Figures
Four Million American
Soldiers Can Defeat
German Army
present PLANS CALL FOR
THAT NUMBER UNDER ARMS
Thirty-One American Divisions, or
Approximately 100000 Men
are Now i'm France With as
Many More i'm Camps
as a Reservoir

! Washington, ID. C.-Four million
American soldiers can defeat the
German army, is the belief of Gener-
al March, chief of staff, and present
plans of the war department call for
more than that number under arms
next summer with some 5000, 900 Of
them, or eighty divisions in France
by June 80.
These and other important facts
concerning the nations effort in the
war was given to the senate military
committee by General March, Secre-
tary Baker and General Crowder,
were revealed Thursday by Chairman
Chamberlain in presenting to the SEN
ate the administration man power
bill extending the draft ages to in
clude all men between the ages if Is
and 45 years.
President Wilson is determined to
bring the war to a conclusion by
concentrating all forces on the wes-
tern front, including Italy, Secretary
Baker told the committee, and Gen.
leral March supplemented this by
stating that it was the purpose to
end the great world struggle quickly
and decisively. For the nation not
| to put forth its maximum effort at
once, the chief of staff declared,
would be but playing Germany's
game
Thirty-one American divisions, or
approximately 100000 men now
are In France, with as many more In
camps as a reservoir. Secretary
Baker said the accelerated program
of troop movements overseas which
has enabled General Pershing to
organize his first field army of some
l1.250,00O men will be continued be-
cause of the generous action of the
British government in supplying
ships.
To carry out the present program
of eighty divisions >overseas by June
go, nearly 2.OO0,000 men must be
sent to France in the next eleven
months Mr.. Baker would not be
drawn into any discussion of the
country's ability to transport men;
but It's known that many more than
that number could be landed in the
war zone at the present rate of ship
ments.
General March told the committee,
according to the report Of the senate,
that he was in favor of young men
for the army and that the youths of
lis registered under the new draft
law would be in France by June 80.
He estimated that some 100000
men qualified for full military ser
ice would be secured from the new
registrants and he outlined the calls
for the next year or more as follows;
August. 100000; September, 200,-
900; October, $4,000; November,
100000; December, 100000; Janu-
airy, 100000; February, 100000 and
800, 900 monthly thereafter until the
end of next year.
These calls would aggregate A.
l205,00 against the estimate of 2,-
900, 900 to be had from the new
registration, but no explanation was
made of this and other discrepancies
in the draft figures. General Crow
der has said that the present reser-
voir in class one will be exhausted
by next October /, but Secretary
Baker made it plain Thursday that
the reservoir of men now in camp
in this country is sufficient to keep
up the present troop movement over
seas.