The Washington herald., 1918-03-26
Fresh from Trenches, He
Declares Demand for Man
Power Is Imperative.
COMPULSORY TRAINING
Is STRONGLY URGED
Veteran Says Aeroplanes,
Ships and Guns Among
Essentials Needed.

America must have an army Of
hive million men. half of whom
must be sent at once to the West
ern battle front of Europe.
This is the message which Mai.
Gen. Leonard Wood brought from
France to the Military Affairs Com
mlttee Of the Senate and delivered
to that committee in executive ses-
sion yesterday afternoon. 1t NAV
result in action by the committee
to speed up legislation for raising
the draft age and otherwise IN
creasIng the nations armies.
Supreme Need.
The supreme need OF the hour. Gen.
Wood told the committee is NOR
man power. The sooner an army Of
10000 men is landed in France b.
NAANIN EeOuGE VIII
come the end Of the war EVrry-
other confederation should Dr. laid
aside. In Gen. Woods opinion. 10
crowd trained armies and thcir nee
essary supplies upon French soil
So overpOwering Is this need Io-
men, Gen. Wood said. that although
there is no ordnance Of American
manufacture on the allies front. tho
RT1fiEh EranHH
be able TO supply all the guns need
ed II America will only furnish the
men TO handle them.
Gen. Wood praised highly the ma
tional army and expressed the opin-
ion that all OF the men Of this cIss-
SInCation. now in the training Camps.
should be dispatched to France i'm
mediately. lie pronounced them as
whole a splendid body Of soldiers.
whose de- otiOn 10 training had rem
dered them ready for active service
To take the places Of these men.
Gen. Wood recommended immediate
drafts from the eligible reEistraDts
and raising OF the draft limit so that
there may be more men to draw from
until 5.phonoO are IN the training
Camps.
Not Discouraged.
Gen Wood found no DISCOURAGE
ment in the latest news of the Ger
man offensive. He said tnat the
British had been fully prepared for
II. although they had not antici-
pated that the drive would be So
rapid or that they would be com
PEELED to lose 50 large d number OF
guns.
1t was pointed out by Gen. Wood
that while the Germans are ObliEe,l
TO make their advances over rough.
shell-torn ground. the British have
the advantage Of smooth territory
over which to conduct their with
drawaL The roads behind the Brit
lsh lines may also be used by the
retreating forces. but not by the
enemy.
Cen. Wood was inclined TO be-
ieve this ADVANTAGE would aid the
British more and more Il the Ger
mans continued 10 advance into the
battle-swept area. lie said he be-
lieved the British strategy would
be TO permit the Germans 10 pene-
trate as far as they can into this
territory before beginning a couD-
ter thrust which may crush the
enemy and drive them back.
Highly Optimistic.
Gen. Woods view OF the entire
situation was highly optimistic and
he expressed himself TO the commit 70
tee as being entirely confident o.
the ultimate success Of the allied
forces in stopping the present drive.
He praised the morale of the British
and French, who are in active con-
tact with the enemy. and said that
he was much gratiied 10 md the
splendid spirit and courage Of the
Americans.
The only note Of discouragement
in Gen. Woods statement was with
4 respect to the aeToplane situation.
He declared that there are L0Oo
American aviateFs in France but not
a single American aeroplsne for their
CONTTNTFn pN RnCF FTEuT