Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-08-15
THURSDAY AFTERNOON, AUGUST Is, 1915.
OUR FIRST FIELD ARTILLERY

OUR FIRST FIELD ARTILLERY
The announcement is made that the first American
held army in France has been formed. THE size Of the
army is not stated in the dispatch. nor is the public def
nitely informed as to just where it will operate: but the
known facts lead to the conclusion that this new army
contains at least five corps. or ~1t25o,ooo men in all. and
the statement that it will operate south Of the Marine"
indicates the probability that it will take charee~of some
part Of the line between ST. Mihiel and the Swiss border.
where a considerable portion Of the American force has
been stationed for some time.
The announcement Is hailed with pleasure by
Americans who are familiar with matters of military
organization and who have been keenly anxious for the
time to come when the United States could take its right
full place on the battle line with its allies in the great
hight Heretofore our American troops have constituted
q sort Of auxiliary force, doing magnificent work, but
having no separate and independent identity. The AL
Les now have on the west front a great British army
UNDER General Haig. a great French army under Gen.
eral Petain. and an army Of lesser size. but nevertheless
existing as a separate unit. under command of General
Pershing. And Pershing will now rank in all matters
with Haig and Petain, all three being under the general
command Of General Foch, and each of them having
independent charge Of his own great unit
This is particularly impressive when we consider
=. "~~ ~AS~AS - on AAAS1S4OA " uo LdUuGT IN which
America has bestirred herself in preparing for her real
participation in the war. We made our formal entrance
into the war in April. We were totally unprepareo. It
was necessary on short notice to transform a great nation
at peace to a nation at war. There was the man power
to be made available, and the whole Industrial system
OF the nation to be transformed so that in the briefest
possible time we could place in the field an army COM
mensurate with the size and dignity of the nation and
with the character Of the conflict into which we had
entered. There were those who said that all this was
pot intended. and that our participation in the war
would be merely a formal one, with a few ships to SUD-
port the entente fleets. and {. handful Of men to indi-
cate our moral support There were many who. beliey-
ing that more was intended, and that more should be
accomplished, were appalled, by the apparent HOPELESS
ness OF the task Of so revolutionizing our affairs as to
raise and equip an army Of proper size and to get it and
its equipment across the ocean in time for it to be ef-
fective.
Within sixteen months after we accepted the gauge
" oa1ue n within little more than a year after pre-
lfminary legislation for that purpose was enacted we
have in France a mans size army, so organized. so
trained and so equipped as to act Independently and in
full partnership with the great British and French
r1nies already in the field. This is an achievement of
which every American may wei be proud.
We cannot too often review the progressive stems nv
which We have reached this stage. Our first conception
SA@Ef&MIH ~ "A~A sS u du-
ditdonal men very much in thu. air. Then there was the
adoption Of the selective CONSUMPTION plan and the be-
ginning Of the organization Of the National army. Then
followed by shipment, Of relatively small attachments
Until. one day last winter. Secretary Baker electrified the
country WIN the statement that the United States would
have half a million men in France early this rear and
q million before the close OF the year. The first promise
was kept, and the million mark was passed before July,
and now, in mid-August, we have nearly 1900. 900 sold
iers on French soil. By winter we will have more than
two million men in the war zone, with more millions
getting ready in American camps.
It Is not to- choose what part our men shall plav, in
the lighting. or where they shall serve. That matter is
In the hands Of the. commander Of all the armies. Cen
eral Foch. But we are fortunate thus far in the proba-
bility that the American sector IS to be somewhere toward
the Swiss border. The character OF the country there
y such that the living conditions can be made as tdesir.
able a. # is possible to make army conditions anywhere,
a good shelter and dr. footing can almost Away. be
found,