New-York tribune., 1918-05-16
New Plan Will Speed Train
ing of Americans Ar
irving in Europe
Foch Now Directs
All Troops in Italy
Army There Larger and
Better Equipped Than Be-
fore Austrian Drive

WASHINGTON, May 15.-General
rershing probably soon will be COM
inahdlng French and British troops as
'he process of brigadng American
UNITS with their allies on the Western
front goes forward.
AS II exemplifying the unity of
command and action into which the
United States and it's cobelligerents
nave entered, it became known here to-
oay that Whenever American troops
predom1nate in the brigaded divisions
as 'he process goes on these divisions.
under present plans. will be turned
over to General Pershinr's command
1h's plan would accomplish several
Things which the military authorities
consulting upon it regard as very de-
slrable. 1t would rapidly increase the
size or the American fighting command
on the battle line, it would contribute
tremendously to the spirit of unity and
concerted effort and at the same time
instead Of holding large numbers Of
American troops behind the lines while
training would surround them with
seasoned veterans and under actual
battle conditions school them to be re-
brlgaded later with Fresh American
troops coming to France. '-'' 90
Italian Army Now Under Foch -.
In this way the efficiency Of the
British and French forces is expected
TO be increased and the work Of build
ing up great, fully trained and com
pletely equipped fighting force in
France is expected to be hastened
IN addition to this, as illustrative of
the unity of command under which
Generalissimo Foch directs all the
Allied armies, it was stated oficialiv
here to-day that Foch Commands the
Italian troops in France and Italy.
There has been no question that Foch
commanded the Italian troops in France
ana 1t mad been supposed that, con-
the Western battle line under a do.
cision reached at the Versailles con-
ference, the generalissimo's authority
extended there.
For the first time, however, it was
stated unreservedly that General Foch's
supreme command extended to Italy.
1t was stated also that Italy, besides
sending troops to France in numbers
equal to those being sent from the
United States, now has on her fighting
llne larger army more perfectly
EQUIPPED than she had before the great
Austrian drive. This may be explain
atory Of the apparent equanimity with
winch the Allied leaders face recurrcnt
reports of new drive on the italian
front
Priur rin1n fo Nro.1- Dat
The information that the briraded
Allied divisions in the West probably
will be placed under the command Of
General Pershing when the numbers of
American troops contained in them
Predominate was taken to mean that
the same principle would operate when
the predominating numbers were
French or British.
AS giving the view of the Allied mill
tary. experts on this plan, a high Off
Ger in the service of one Of the powers
at war with Germany to-day gave these
opinions to The Associated Press:
From the news received and from
the knowledge of conditions as thew
were when recently left France can
not believe that the situation is so COM
slackening off in the rushing over Of
American troops.
Even should this supposition be
correct, it would be great military
error to work on such thesis There
has been no more insidious propaganda
than that which tends to seduce popu
lar opinion in the Entente countries
into false sense of security.
Leads to Procrastination.
What is being written to-day about
the Germans having used up all their
reserves and having staked their all on
victory or defeat has been written al
most literally word for word at
every crisis since the beginning of the
war. The results have often been to
delay preparation and to procrastinate
in the carrying out of measures which
eventually were forced to be adopted.
can incident such as the Ottawa in
cident is one that might be seized with
avidity by the enemy to cause the slow
ing up in the flow Of American troops
and to cause argument and feeling
about matter upon which there seems
to be perfect accord.
II cannot see that the statement as
published in Ottawa in any way alters
the plans for building up big indie
understood here. 1t seems to ME it is
absolutely essential that the officers
and non-commission officers now en- |
route for France should be given war
experience that they NAV form the |
nucleus upon which the great Ameri-
can army will be built which is to take |
the field, NE hope, as in indepen ndent |
unit in the spring.
Arrangement Satisfies Both Side.
This arrangement would appear to
satisfy both sides, because not only |
would the American army be expedited |
as an independent unit as shown above, |
but the supply of the American rein t
forcements at the present moment |
would be bound to take some of the |
burden off the shoulders Of the Brit
ish and French and might possibly
save situation should it arrive.