Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-04-10


ments committee on public informa-
ton answers that question in a re-
view of the first year of the war which
1t has issued on the first anniversary
of the beginning of the war; The war
and navy departments, the shipping
board and the treasury department
nave authorized the statements con-
tanned in this review, it is declared.
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
tfonal Guard, composed of 1924 Off
GERS and 202,510 men into a fighting
force that now aggregates 123,S01 Of
fcers and 1,52S,924 enlisted men.
A statement of the adjutant general
shows that the regular army which in
April, 1917, comprised 5,791 officers
and 121, 797 men, now is made up of
10,69S officers and $685. men. The
National Guard in April, 1917, includ-
ed 1888 officers and 76,713 men, while
now it comprises 1898 officers and
431 ,5S3 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 516S39 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 16
camps and on numerous aviation fields
and in 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.
Expeditlonary Forces.
Military necessity particularly for
bids a detailed review of the activities
OF the American expeditionary forces.
General Pershing and his staff ar
rived in Paris on June II, 1917 SO
days after the declaration of war The
first American troops arrived in
France on June &c. On July 4, in Gel
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 a 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
pitals 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 $25,000,000 is
now we'll under way. Great quantities
of material used in the foreign con-
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 a 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 |
rails, have been gratifyingly small. |
The greatest single loss occurred on
February 5, when the British ship |
Tuscania was torpedoed and sunk. |
The bodies of IA soldiers, en- route to
France, have been found and 30 others |
were still missing on March 16.
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. OF 63,203 candidates
In the first two series of camps 44,578
qualified and were awarded commits