River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1918-04-11
EXPANSION of Armed Forces Out
standing Feature of Period.
1923, 924 MEN IN THE ARMY
Official Review of Twelve Months'
Activities Shows What Various
Departments of Government
Have Done.


second year the government commit
tee on public information has issued q
review of the first twelve months or
hostilities, showing what has been
done by various branches of the gov
eminent to place the United States in
a position to play an effective part In
the ultimate defeat Of Germany and
her allies. The committee on public
information says that all statements
contained in the following summary OF
the review are authorized by the war
department, navy department, United
States shipping board and treasury
department.
The outstanding feature of the first
year of war, it is pointed out
In the review, has been the transfer
nation of the standing army and Ma
tiOnal Guard, composed of 1924 OH
GERS and 2O2, $40 men into fighting
force that now aggregates 123,8O1 of
ficers and 1,528,924 enlisted men.
A statement of the adjutant general
shows that the regular army which in
April, 1917, comprised 5,791 officers
and 121,7 TOT men, now is made up of
1O,698 officers and 503,1 men. The
National Guard in April, 1917, includ-
ed 3.733 officers and 1918 men, while
now it comprises 1898 officers and
49,, 583 men. The reserve corps in
service one year ago included 1000
men. Now it includes 96,210 officers
and 1880 men. The National army,
which did not exist one year ago, now
includes 516,839 men.
A substantial vanguard military
expediency prohibiting publication OF
actual numbers) Of this army Is meet
ing the enemy in France today or Is en-
camped there awaiting the call to the
trenches; in 16 environments and l6
camps and on numerous aviation fields
and in q variety Of other schools In
all parts Of the United States the men
Of the remaining army are hardening
and training for their part in the great
contest overseas.
Behind the activities of this vast
force lies a great industry organized
to produce an adequate supply Of mu-
nitions, equipment, and provisions,
and to provide transportation to the
firing line, almost every branch OF,
essential industry Of the country hav-
ing been drawn upon to produce these
material requirements.
Expeditionary Forces.
Military necessity particularly for
bids detailed review of the activities
of the American expeditionary forces.
General Pershing and his staff ar
rived in Paris on June Ia, 1917, SO
days after the declaration of war. The
first American troops arrived in
France on June 26. On July 4, in eel
ebration of our natal day and new
fight for liberty, American troops pa
raded the streets Of Paris and were
greeted as the forerunnerS Of great
American armies and vast quantities
Of supplies and ammunitions.
On October 10, 1917, 1877 days after
the war was declared, American SOL
diers went on the firing line. In Jan
uary American soldiers took over per-
manently a part Of the line as an
American sector, and this line is grad
ually frightening.
Behind the fighting line in France
the American forces have scientifically
prepared groundwork Of camps COM
municationS, supply bases, and works
In anticipation of operations by the
full force OF the army. They are
building and have built railroads, hos
pitfalls, ordnance bases, and docks in
France. They have constructed I'M
mense barracks, erected sawmills, re-
claimed agricultural lands, and car
ried forward many incidental enter
prises.
The construction OF an ordnance
base In France costing $25,0000O0, is
now well under way. Great quantities
structIon work have been shipped from
the United StateS-from fabricated
ironwork for an ordnance shop to nails
and crossties for railroads, and even
the piles to build docks.
All the while there has been fairly
even flow OF men and materials from
the United States to France. The men
In the trenches, back Of the lines, on
the construction projects, and in the
hospitals have been steadily supplied.
Our losses at sea, in men and mate
rials, have been gratifyingly small
The greatest single loss occurred on
February 5, when the British ship
Tuscania was torpedoed and sunk.
The bodies OF LA soldiers, en- route to
France, have been found and 30 others
were still missing on March 10.
To secure, an adequate number Of
competent officers to lead the new
armies various plans were devised
Two classes at West Point were grad
uated in advance Of the usual gradu-
ating dates and special examinations
were held in various parts of the coun-
try for appointments from civil life.
Three series of officers training camps
have been held. o. 63,203 candidates
In the first two series of camps 44,57S
qualified and were awarded commits