The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-11-20

WHICH INONclIlcUC 0ctS wei ONOcI
Way Men VIII Quit Army at the
Rate Of $4,000 Daily-Boys i'll
France Will be Coming Back By
Febsuary-Rainbow Division May
be Among First to Return.
Washington, Nov. 16.-Movementi
of the American troops across the At
lantic has stopped entirely and de-:
of troops in environments
and camps at home is under way
Gen. March, chief of staff, made
this announcement today, outlining
the war departments plans in answer
to questions the, country has been
asking since the day the arn1istlce
was signed and it became apparent
that the war was over He SAID Or
ders already issued would send 200,-
900 men back to civil life within
two weeks. and that when the pro
gram was in full swing about $4,000
would quit the army daily.
Fighting divisions Of Gen. Persh-
ing's army in France will be demob-
ilized as fast as possible in their home
communities. The chief Of staff
would make no prediction as to
when the first division would start
home 1t appears probable however:
that the flow of returning troops can
be in full tide before February.
Some officers regard it as possible
that certain divisions may be re
called in advance Of the general re
turn movement. Gen. March lndl-
Gated that the Forty-second Grain
bow division, because it is composed
of men from twenty-six States ana IL
recognition Of the fighting record II
has made in France would be marx
ed for special treatment. The Twen-
ty-sixth (New England NatIona
Guard) and the Forty-first (SunseD
divisions are in the same class so /,
would not cause surprise II these
three organizations should be deslg-
mated by Gen. Pershing as the first
to return. With six weeks of 1913
left it is possible they may be home
before New Years Day.
Supplenenting Gen. March's state
ment Secretary Baker said it would
not be necessary to maintain all the
existing cantonnents for de111oblllza-
ton purposes and that a study was
now being made of those desirable
for that purpose. The others, with a.!
the divisional camps: he indicated,
will be abandoned as soon as the men
now occupying them have been mus
tered out.
The rehabilitation will be carried
cut in the following order:
First, development battalions, IL
in number and comprising 9S,l99
men: second, conscientious objectors
not under arrest; third, spruce pro
duction division; fourth, central train
ing schools for officers with SOM
notifications; fifth, United States
guards. now numbering $4,000 men:
sixth, railway units; seventh, depot
brigades; eighth, replacement units;
ninth, combat divisions.
1--WE have in the United States
now something like 100000 men
and to muster out a force Of that
kind. of course, will take some time.
said Gen. March. Each man has 20
be examined physically, his final &C
counts made so that the men may
get compensation they are entitled
to. Blank forms are being shipped
to the various camps for use as these
orders go into effect.
''The orders that have already been
issued affect some 100000 men. l
expect to muster them out in two
weeks. When the machine is in full
operation we expect to release 30,-
600 men a day
I'm handling this problem Of de-
mobilization one Of the features
which had to be considered was the
subsequent retaining of men for the
regular army, or what will be the reg
ular army, when congress passes laws
reorganizing that part. When the
war broke out there were only linn
tied number of such men in the SER
vice, and the great number of men
who filled out these units were men
who voluntarily enlisted for the pc
ricd Of the war. So we have offer
ed these men who came III fer the
period OF the war the option Of reen-
listing if they care to.
eve have offered an Immediate
honorable discharge with a furlough
Of one month upon reenl1Stmcnt ana
we propose to ask congress to give
every single man who has been hon
orably discharged one months pay
whatever his grade is, as bonus
Every man who is discharged from
the army is entitled to wear his uni
form for period OF three months;
that is a very necessary thing be-
cause the releasing to civil life OF
three or four million men makes it
impossible to clothe in civilian clothes
so great a number.
CAS- men are discharged, we take
up the question Of the officers. Off
GERS who want to apply for commits
sions in the regular army will be
considered; officers who want tc p''t
themselves in 81 class where they
can be used for future military oD-
e.ations, will be offered commissions