The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-03-15
BEGIN WELDING
OF ARMY UNITS
Neighborhood Character of Ma
tionaI Guard and National
Army to Be Lost.
RESULT DEFENSE SYSTEM
Three Line Plan at Front Ne
cessitates Process Insisted
On by Officers.
RESULT DEFENSE SYSTEM

Washington. March t5.--The neigh
borhood character OF national army
and national guard units 10 certain to
vanish as the war progresses, In the
opinion Of army officials. British and
French forces already have under-
gone tho process and Il now 10 being
felt by American front line divisions
as the direct result OF the three line
system of defense, held indispensable
by Gen. Pershing and the allied chief
tains TO keep the front line at full
fighting strength.
| Plans projected by the general stafr
for erecting replacement system To
handle nearly n quarter OF million
men this year. IL is understood. are
founded on acceptance OF the fact that
| localigation cannot be maintained.
| Eventually 1t is believed that enlisted
mon OF the regulars, national army.
and national guard Will be intermixed
throughout all divisions Ct the front
Welding Process Begun.
Congress Expressed "A decided pref.
orcnce for loealization OF the national
army In the selective service law. but
many officers have maintained insist
eutly that 1t should be impossible 10
handle the army except ~ one great
unit The facts promise 10 bear out
that view, 1t is said, and with the re-
placement Of casualties. tho welding
Of tho cNpeditionary forces. Into one
homogeneous unit has already be-
gun
In an opinion rendered last Sen.
tembor, Acting Judge Advocate Gem
oral Anhcll sustained absolutely the
legal right of the department TO
transfer officers and men among the
regulars. national army and national
guard as found necessary. The se-
lective service law gave only sug-
gcEtion OF Independence to the three
branches of the service. he said.
The SIX division corps organiga.
tion. adopted by Grn. Pershing. was
devised to give corp commander a
two division front TO hold. backed up
by two divisions on the second line
and two divisions on the third line.
Az intervals these divisions relieve
oaoh4 other each serving it's allotted
TIME iu each of the three lines. Az
casualties occur in the front line dlvi-
aionH. men are drawn from second
line divisions and second line upits
III up Immediately from third line dl-
visions, The casuaa given pre-
liminary training In the United States .
aud shipped over an a regular sched-
ule are led INTO the thlrh line dtvt-
sion and by the time they reach the
front limo trenches. are ready for bat
tie.
For Special Arm OF Service.
. out of this situation has grown the
plan To form separate replacement di-
visions IN the United States where the
arm OF the service for which prclimi~
nary training, not tho state from
which the soldier comes, viii he tho
factor governing mobilization.
InfantrNmeu would all be trained at
lno camp. nrtillerymen at another.
machine gunnera AT another, and no
)n. Men who had been under train.
ng sin months would be available for
,Hrignment to replacement detach-
nonts bound abroad. Their places
would be taken by new drafted men.
,r by volunteers, gathered through tho
recruiting service That would ex-
end the replacement system hack 10
he civilian population In orderly.
workable fashion. II is argued,