The Benson signal., 1918-04-13
FIRST YEAR OF
WAR REVIEWED
Achievements of United States
ReCounted in Official State
mentS.
GREAT ARMY IN TRAINING
Land Forces Now Aggregate 123,e01
Officers and 1,528,92& 5r!isted
Men-Navy Personnel Is
TripIed.


TripIed.
The United States is now entering
upon it's second year of war. On the
first anniversary of the beginning of
hostilities between this country and
Germany, the people are interested in
knowing what has been done by the
United States in waging and prepar-
ing to wage war upon the forces Of
= Prussian autocracy. The committee
on public information of the United
States government, in review of the
first year of the war, gives a resume
of the activities of the various de-
partments Of the government as they
are concerned with prosecution of the
war. The committee announces that
ali statements made are authorized
by the war department, the navy de-
partment, the United States shipping
board and the treasury department.
The outstanding feature Of the first
year Of war, it is pointed out
In the review, has been the transfor-
nation Of the standing army and Ma
Itional Guard, composed Of 1924 Off
GERS and 202,51O men into a fighting
force that now aggregates 123,801 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, ,797 men, now is made up Of
10,698 officers and 5O3,142 men. The
National Guard in April, 1917, includ-
ed 1888 officers aSd 1918 men, while
now it comprises 1888 officers and
431, ,583 men. The reserve corps in
service one year ago included 1000
men. Now it includes 96,21O 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 cantonments and 16
camps and on numerous aviation fields
and in a 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
wtorce lies 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 cell
.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-
7 manently a part Of the line as an
American sector, and this line is grad
ually lengthening.
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
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,OOO,OOO, 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 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