The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-15
Will Intermix National Army
and States Guardsmen.
NeighborhoOd Character Will
Vanish as Boys Reach Front.
PLAN REPLACEMENT SYSTEM
VIII Handle Quarter Million
Soldiers Under 1t This Year.
Uphold Legal Right To Trans
fer Guards and Natl Army Men.

Washington, March 15.-The neigh
borhood character of national army
and national guard units is certain to
vanish as the war progresses, in the
opinion of army officials. British and
French forces already have under
gone the process, and it now is being
felt by American front line divisions
as the direct result of the three line
system Of defense held indispensable
by General Pershing and the allied
chieftains to keep the front line at
full fighting strength
Plans projected by the general staff
for erecting a replacement system to
handle nearly a quarter of a million
men this year, it is understood are
founded on acceptance of the fact
that localization cannot be maintained.
Eventually it is believed that en-
listed men of the regular national
army and national guard will De in
termixed thruout all divisions at the
front. Congress expressed a decided
preference for 1ocalization of the army
in the selective service law. but army
officers have maintained insistent1y
that it would be impossible to handle
the army except as one unit. The
and with the replacement of casualties
the welding of the eXpeditionary force
into one homogeneous unit has al
ready begun
Plan to Heightcn Efficiency of Army.
In an opinion rendered last Septem-
ber, Acting Judge Advocate General
Anzell sustained the legal right of the
department to transfer officers and
men among the regular national army
and national guard as round necessary.
The se1ective service law gave only a
suggestion of independence to the
three branches of the service he said.
LAS legal adviser to the army and
IT discard as the law permits me and
military efficiency requires me to
discard, the theory of separate and
independent forces. Such theory
can be adhered to only with injury to
fighting efficiency. Battles can hard
ly be won with forces which are re-
garded as heterogeneous but only so
because of customary conception of
legal formulary. Administration
should proceed boldly along broad d
linec to sustain our fighting forces
with unity o. organization and unity
of administration as well of purpose
If we are to succeed against an enemy
who has demonstrated his thoroness
in that field.
There is but one army of the
United States and every organization.
bureau. officer and men in the mill
tary service is a part of it,
Keep Two Divisions at Front.
Inc SUBDIVISION corps organization
adopted by General Pershing was de-
vised to give a corps commander a
two division front to hold, backed up
by two divisions on the second line
and two divisions on the third line.
At intervals these divisions relieve
each other, each serving it's allotted
time in each of the three lines. AS
casualties occur in front line divisions
men are drawn from second line di-
visions and second line units are filled
up Immediately from third line di-
visions. The casuals, given pre-
liminary training in the United
states. shipped over on regular
schedule, are fed into the third line
division and by the time they reach
the front line trenches are ready for
the battle, having received their fin
lshing course at the hands of veterans
as they moved.
AS an illustration of the effect of
this process on the personnel of a
particular regiment a New York ma
Continued on PAGE Tive