The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-11-16
START STEPS TO
DEM0BILIZE /!
Already : 900 Men Are
Undeg riders to Re-
3 IN Home
ARMS F 100000
70 BE RELEASED
Development Battalions Are
to Be Mustered Out
First

Washington, d. c. Nov l6.-0rders
have been issued, General March an
nounced to-day, for the gradual demobiI-
ization Of all troops now in this country.
! Demobilization will be in the following
order; First, development battalons,
| II in number, and comprising 9s,I99
men; second, conscientious objectors not
under arrest; third, spruce production di-
vision; fourth, central training schools
| for officers with some notifications;
fifth, United States guards, now number
/ ing $4,000 men; sixth, railway units;
seventh, depot brigades; eighth, replace
ment units; ninth, combat divisions.
| There now are in the United States
| 100000 men under arms, General March
said Orders which will result in the
immediate rehabilitation of 100000 men
already are issued and these men will be
at their homes in the next two weeks.
| When the reduction plan is under full
operation, the chief of staff explained,
10000 men each day will be released from
the army.
The Return from France.
1 Regarding the return Of the troops in
France General March said the order in
which the divisions will be withdrawn is
being left to General Pershing 1t is the
intention Of the war department, how
ever, so far as is practicable, to return
each division to the locality from which
the majority of its men came and to pa
rade the division in adjacent cities so
that the people may have chance to
give fitting welcomes
As an example, he said, the New Eng
land soldiers might be brought to Camp
Deyens and parade in Boston and other
cities.
Orders have been cabled to General
Pershing to begin the return at once of
all casuals, sick and wounded who can
be moved, and convalescents. A steady
stream of these men should begin imme-
diately to cross the Atlantic.
| Camps at home will be cleared out to
prepare for the return of the expedition
airy forces and the general indicated that
! the process would be expedited. A unit
of regular troops will be left at each
camp to guard and police it in prepara-
tion for the arrival of the overseas units.
Because of its unusual composition,
General March said and its brilliant rec
ord at the front, the AID (RainbOwl di.
vision would be given special considera
tion in the rehabilitation plans. The
purpose of the department was not out
lined specifically, but the impression was
gained that the division will be paraded
In Washington before il is mustered ont
Permanent Army Plans
Steps already have been taken toward
the organization Of the permanent army.
1 m mar IN ba bar
will be offered an honorable discharge
| from the emergency enlistment and an
! immediate re.enistment in the new
forces A furlough Of one month will be
given as an incentive to re-enlistment
| 1t was announced that Congress win be
asked to give each man discharged from
the army regardless of whether he re-
enlists, a bonus of one months salary.
General March pointed out also that all
soldiers are entitled under law to wear
| their uniforms for three months after
discharge This will 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 would be effected by dividing
the present list of officers into three
classes, those who desire commissions in
the regular army, those who are willing
to hold themselves available for future
service as reserve officers, and those who
desire honorable discharge from the serv
| ice.
| Instructions have been issued to the
army staff corps to carry out reduction
| in their commissioned and enlisted per
sonnel lists, keeping pace with the reduc-
| tion of the line forces
| General Pershing has been directed TO
expedite complete casualty lists of his
| forces showing the names of every man
| killed or wounded or missing up to II
a. m. Nov. H. General March would not
hazard an estimate as to what the final
total might be.
American Prisoners Number 5,7Ss.
| Replying to question as to the num-
Der of American prisoners in Germany,
| he said official records up to Oct. Is gave
the total as 5,738.
! General March sketched the official line
held by the allied armies and the Amer
| leans along the west front when the
fighting stopped The front held by the
| first and second American armies at that
hour measured 50 miles. OF the Amer
lean force, General March said:
at had reached its highest point of
military efficiency on the day the fight
ing stopped and had endeared itself to
the hearts Of the American people"
Ports of the Atlantic coast from Bos
ton to Charleston, S. c., General March
said, are being organized to handle the
returning troops and it is possible that
ports south Of Charleston will be used.
The final disposition of the great can
tonments is being studied, General March
said, and no decision has been reached.
In discussing the rehabilitation plans
with senator's at their weekly conference