Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-15

The neighborhood character of Ma
tional Army and National Guard units
Is certain to vanish as the war pro-
gFesses, in the opinion af Army Of
ficials British and French forces al
ready have undergone the process. and
1t now is being felt by American 'front.'
line divisions as the direct result OF
the three-Iine systems of defense, held
indispensable by Gen. Pershing and the
allied chieftains to keep the 'front.' line
At full fighting strength.
Plans projected by the general stan
for erecting a replacement system to
handle nearly a quarter of million
men this year are founded on accept
.ance of the fact that localization
cannot be maintained.
Eventually it is believed that enlist
ed men of the Regulars, National
Army and National Guard will be in
termixed throughout all divisions at
the front.
Congress Plan Opposed.
Congress expressed a decided pref
erence for Iocalization of the National
Army in the selective service law, but
many officers have maintained insist
emily that it would be Impossible TO
handle the Army except as one great
unit. The facts promise TO bear out
that view. it is said, and with the re-
placement of casuals the welding OF
the eXpeditionary forces INTO one
homogeneous unit has already begun
In an opinion rendered last Septem-
Der Acting Judge Advocate General
Ansell sustained absolutely the legal
right of the department to transfer OF
hcerS and men among the Regulars
National Army and National Guard as
found necessary. The selective service
law gave only a suggestion of indie
pendence to the three branches of the
service. he said.
LAS legal adviser to the Army and as
an officer thereof" he continued. Il dis
card. as the law permits me
and military efficiency requires me to
discard. the theory of separate and in
dependent forces. Such theory can
be adhered to only with injury to fight |
ing efficiency. BATH ii hardly be
won with forces whic.. a-e regarded as
heterogeneous. but cnly so because OF
customary conception of legal formu-
larry Administration should proceed
boldly along broad lines to sustain our
fighting forces with unity of organiza- !
ton and unity of administration as
well as of purpose. if we are to sue
coed against an enemy who has dem
onstrated his thoroughness in that field.
But One Army
There is but one army of the United
States, and every organization. bureau,
officer and man in the military service
is a part of it"
The six division corps organization
adopted by Gen. Pershing was devised
to give a corps commander a two divi-
sion front to hold, backed up by two
divisions on the second lire and two
divisions on the third line. AT inter
walls these divisions relieve one another.
each serving its allotted time in each of
the three lines. AS casualties occur in
the front line divisions. men are drawn
from second line divisions and second
line units fill up Immediately from third
line divisions The casuals. given pre-
liminary training in the United States
and shipped over on a regular sched
ule, are sent into the third line divi-
sion and by the time they reach the |
front line trenches are ready for battle, !
having received their finishing course |
at the hands of veterans as they moved |
up.
As an illustration of the effect of this
process on the personnel of q particu- !
lar regiment a New York National /
Guard or National Army division might !
be in the front line. Behind it in the |
same corps might stand an Illinois di- !,
vision in the second line and a far /
western division in the third line. or |
either of these supporting divisions |
might be a regular unit. composed of
men from all parts of the United
other requirements increased. the New
York division would become filled with
men from the other divisions or. when
il was in reserve. would send many
of its original New York men INTO the
division ahead of it. If they continued
in the same relations long the three
divisions would become composites of
all three with a steady flow of cas-
malls, introduced from the United
States at the third line. still further
diluting their original neighborhood
complexion.
Replacement Divisions in U. S.
Out of this situation has grown the
plan to form SeDarate reinforcement di-