Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1918-03-29
WOOD URGES BIG IN.
CREASE IN OUR ARMY.


Back from visit to the western
battle front, Major General Leonard
Wood in confidential statement be-
fore the senate military committee,
declared that allied military opinion
is unanimous that the German often
sive will fail, and urged great in
crease, to from 100000 or 100000
900 men in Americas army.
1t was General Woods opinion, ac-
cording to his auditors, that the Ger
mans on the western front now are
numerically superior, both on the
ground and in the air, but that the
allies are in II better position While
confident that the German offensive
will be halted before the enemy has
gained any material detectives, Gen
eral Wood suggested that the often
sive may change the warfare into Il
more open contest. For that reason,
he recommended the training of
American forces for open warfare as
well as for trench fighting.
The general was before the COM
mite Off three hours, and frankly
N's'tuHSNb ti' HIlhttAiPll III IsuIODc
and ut home. Stating that the French
are disappointed in the size of the
American army thus far sent to Eu-
rope, according to committee mem
bers, he recommended immediate
steps to increase both the American
eXpcditionary forces and the army in
training in this country. Chairman
Chamberlain said General Wood rec
commended that an army of 100000
men be maintained in France at the
earliest possible moment, and $780,
900 more in training at home. In
this connection General Wood also
recommended compulsory universal
military training
In urging that the American war
program of men, ships and munitions
he spccdcd up and increased, General
Wood said no American artillery o.
:lirplancs are yet available to General
PcrSing's men, and that "although
900 American aviators are ready,
they arc without planes. Use of Lib
crty motors in bombing instead of
fighting machines also was recon-
mendcd by General Wood.
Commenting on the German often
sivc General Wood, according to the
! members of the committee, said that,
although the initial success of the
Germans probably had been greater
than expected either by the allies or
the enemy, judged by the number
| of British guns reported captured, he
| and allied officers believed the drive
! will be short-livcd. There is no pos
sibility, he said, of the Germans at
tanning their apparent detectives, the
channel ports or threatening Paris.
Explaining the viewpoint of the al
lied officers with whom he recently
talked and who expected the present
attack, he said the Germans soon
vii reach more difficult ground to
traverse, while the British and the
French retire to superior prepared
positions AT which the German often
sive will be stopped.
Men, ships and artillery in the or
der named, the gcnral was said TO
have stated, are the principal mill
tary needs of the allies from Amer
lea.
/ ne breakdown OF KuSSl0 has
greatly improved the morale of the
German army and the German peo-
pie, General Wood said. He added
that America should pay more atten-
ton to the Italian situation and sug-
gestcd that Americans of Italian or
igin be sent to Italy to combat the
German propaganda. which has been
active in that country.
Strengthening of the army general
staff was also urged by General
Wood. So many former experts on
the general staff, he said, have asked
| and been given work in France, that,
while Pershing has splendid staff,
that in the war department has been
depleted and should be built up for
advisory purposes.