The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-13
STAFF ORGANIZATION AN IMPORTANT PART
 IN r FORM|NG ARMY
Officers Who Direct Opera. ton Should Be Carefully Selected = Training Is
 Also Given Them

1 French Front, December 10.-(Corres- pondence.)-A few precise details as to I the organization of an army staff-that | branch of the military body known as the brains of the army''-show what great care and minute control are nec- essary in the selection of officers who have in their hands the direction of 1 operations and consequently the lives of l the thousands of men engaged in modern | battles. The correspondent of the Asso- ciated Press has during more than three years of war watched closely the devel- opment of the staff work of the allied armies, and has thus obta tined his in l formation at first hand under actual | war conditions.
 | In the French army when an augmen- tation of the number, of staff officers 1 was found necessary, a selection was made among the officers of the reserve l and those of the regular regimental of ficers without staff experience. The 1 first category was found to comprise many officers who, although full of en- l ergy and martial spirit, lacked in a smaller or larger degree the experience 1 of handling troops, while the second cate l gory was unaccustomed to the methodi- cal study of documents. It was, there I fore, decided to form a staff school through which all these candidates for staff work had to pass before undertak- l ing their important duties.
 The aspirants first make a study of the various branches of the ariny-ar- tillery, cavalry, infantry, engineers and laviation--and with the aid aad guidance of experienced officers belonging to each of these arms, learn to foresee and provide for the needs of the different
 units. The next step is course in the
 organization of the command of staff
 and the working of the various serv-
 ices connected with it. This is followed
 by study of the preparatory work of a
 military operation and the mechanism of issuing orders, as well as the em-
 ployment of troops and the work of a
 staff during a battle all of which is
 explained by experienced staff officers
 A period of about 10 weeks is usually
 sufficient to give ! thorough foundation
 to the aspirants, who are then divided
 into two groups, the first intended tt
 become divisional staff officers, and tht
 second to go to brigade staffs.
 Those chosen for divisiolal work pro
 ceed to a course of practical training
 the opening stage of which Is a period ) of eight days passed in some othel
 branch of service from that out of whici they have been selected. The second
 stage is a period of flying lasting eigh days The next step is a period of thre
 weeks in the staff office of an arm,
 comprising several army corps, afte
 which they go into the staff office of al
 army corps for a term lasting week
 On the completion of this practica
 work the officers return to the staf , school for a month to have the fina , touch given to their instruction befor I they are appointed to a divisional staf < in the field, the entire training staf
 lasted five months. It is only by tn closest application to study that an of ficer can succeed in mastering staff
 work in this brief period, even thougl :, he has already gone through the ordi nary military training of an officer l Those who are intended for brigau l staffs work through the same steps c l the preliminary theoretical course nu l as their training is intended to fit then l -o sArve with smaller rnits oa.y, they . | not pursue so long 2 nractical cou, ,e l which in their case comprises a weel with a branch of the service other thai l that to which they originally belonged ' a week of aviation and two weeks in
 divisional staff.
 The work of a staff dealing with opera y tons is divided into five heads. as fol e lows The study and preparation of tn e clements necessary to reach a Gecisio h concerning an operation, the decision il \. self; the notification of this decision t
 units which are to carry it out: tn a execution of the plan: the control of tn
 execution The decision is the task (
 the commander in chief of the troor a engaged, while it's execution lays in tn = hands of the troops themselves. thu :, leaving the three other heads to | worked out by the officers of the staf 70
 . By the recent wartime elections act T, about 100000 Canadian women who ar Ic the mothers, wives or other near rela of ha in he ta irt