Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-05
MAKING AN ARMY
OF 100000 MEN
Man Department Renders
an Account of It's
Stewardship
AMY BEGUN TO FIGHT"
A,ting Secretary Crowell Sets
Forth Achievements in
Face of Obstacles
.osLY BEGUN TO FIGHT
~ BENEDICT CRowELL

By BENEDICT CRoWbLL
-o,,ry Of war IN absence Of Sec
Afht rotary abher
Gear after our going to war with
..n.nv It is well 10 pause a moment
Z. "a ,ook back down the road VIC have
...,.d and ahead on the road we must
Ia, our starting point of a year
oS, seems SO remote that it is hard
attic that we have come so tar.
u, all remember that a year ago our
.-v was a small volunteer army and
4, minds of the people of the United
go uere not prepared for any other
rr,m. The President. however, saw
nv the new necessities and, recog-
..,s the essential democracy Of the
..,,,tve service system. told US all that
/, ,Ss, means and no other could we
..,.ossh,lly carry OIL the burden that
=, been thrust upon us by the organ
-, banditry Of Germany. Fortunately
!, tbs world, the people of the United
o,les had confidence in the President
!, sollov where he should lead, and our
,-.stest achievement in the war was
,,conplIshed by a word from the great
viss man in tho White House.
War Departments Great Problem
me massage OF the selective service
hw put the problem squarely UP TO the
E Var Department The nation is just
b,rInning to see the size of that prob
I,ui as the War Department saw 1t from
M first. The War DEPARTMENT realized
tat Il must not talk, but work; that
mistakes would be made, hut mistakes
r 10 we must ge2 on with our work ::
,hat criticisms just and unjust would
h made, but We must so on that indl-
rsuals counted for nothing, but the
sork was everything. |, first as n
gnlor officer in the army snd then as
assistant Secretary Of War, have seen
81 ne fine spirit of f-eifacement IN tho
sfcers and men of the army and have
wen thrilled by H.
f The problem put up to the War De-
pftment was very simple in It's state
nnt II was: Here is an army Of
n it0OO.000 men, OF which 100000 will
b needed at once. They must be en-
H hted, selected, called. Ollicered, trained
hlSed. fed, equipped and transported
fnm their homes and then 10 France.
n The doing Of these things was another
q ratter aud not SO simple. The or
N ,nizston at hand was pitlfully made.
b eAte as TO numbers, aud had II not
bAn Of the finest quality the work would
n 81 have been doue at all. The in-
n girlous slaying al desk by officers
VD would have given their soul to
Hr to The front with the troops did the
D Ffk There are no medals or re-
rrds for that work. sometimes think
'htre ought to be.
~ How well or how IN the problem has
tgn solved cannot he told now. The
tpartnent did not begin on Uuc-year
Rns but or three-Tcdr piaua. NOthing
/" vi show the success or failure except
y history Of the war, aud the war for
Is Just beginning. As John Pau
Mes said, I'VE have just begun "a
tt"
me road we are travelling then Is q
nre-year road, and we must not judge
% blazers Of the trail by the frs,
htd Of the Journey.
slatstlcs and dates are dry reading
Mt some at least are Illuminating.
Army Of 10000, 600 Created
During April, 1917, before the passage
ihe selectve- e-scrvice law, but whcr
passage seemed assured, tho entire
Naealnery for the selection was WORKED
oH IN the War Department, and wiz
sqs cordial cooperation Of the Cover
s'n and citizens of the States On Jun,
VIZ, nearly 100000 men were
ruSefed. On September . the iirs
ihese men left their homes for the
!, 1rnlns camps The camps, SlSO.o00, ,O0l
.eHh OF them, had been built in th'
ns4Rume. The army, therefore, wa
Naalg In the making, because the cN
mnoed regular army and the fcderaliSc,
a.nonal Guard were already with tn
4ne men were useless without tn
Napment The supply bureaus had
me meantime, been hard at work an,
! April 30 the estimates of these bu
rus lad been submitted TO Congress il
Hgent deficiency bill, which becam
: sN on June It,
Z Nnolgh no contracts could legally b
\ Until funds were aVallabel, ever
/, l was made to have the contract
1 lof execution as soon as the an
yAuons we're made. In many cases
y ause OF the urgency of the need,
= possible to make arrangement
is ~ supplies were manufacture
is fhVered in advance of the siguin
!. ha contracts.
I. "Neies Met aud Surmounted
y sug 'S4e,O0O,OOO was appropriate
Al sIeraft program of the sigma
4. R,e.s. aa contracts were entered int
b. l'seA lss 1ns iund providing for the pro
.Itf.,,s'Na " alrplanes in great quantitie.
y ,.ssesly, exaggerated estimates O
Is Ik.S Povuctlon were made and pub
ey ..M uat the impression has no1
y. s.nueu mat our aircraft program
~ ~ 4 ie se because We have not bee
n. Ietoss up to the original prediC
ns ,,rt Nolhlng could be further fror
~ IN. ~, ohe ditiiculties and emergeT
3 n ny. are overcome and forgot
ny hs.-N was rifles. That difficult
IAer n s'sieoine and is now forgotten
M has machine guns, with tn
II Is'ory The exhibition of IN
guns at Capitol Heights di
een Il was clothes and shoe
} IN ke,Neam of other things, whic
m. nae Or viii have the sam
~|naoe ny mat is active just now
ope ~ VIII take the same cours
F. 0ii. thsr. ~. realize that on April
.lIlad sls,sere we're Just two plants In I'll
Z tannea tass That could make forging
poG s Now there are twelve an
D .0lt wee created new. the buildinl
. li.iior alaehlnery installed. the O
uasni sning on which the War b,
mas no complaint has bee
" ts,s..ns.r ordinary circumstances n
n,e Of the quartermaster's d,
Z N k,ais successfully and satisfa,
I, an n bss .s the hundreds Of thousant
y |.,,,'S .ne service would have bee
4. lss Specially remarkable
hsn s, ne record of the War D.
Z. l,nd seIhg the last year shou