Crittenden record-press., 1918-04-11
UNITED STATES At
WAR ONE YEAR
Expansion Of Armed Forces Out
standing Feature Of Period.
l,528,924 MEN IN THE ARMY
Official Review OF Twelve month";
Activities Shows What Various
Departments Of Government
Have Done.

Auc Suteu IttteS Huo Decu un ~
i've participant In the great world war
for one year. At the opening Of the
second year the government commit
tee on public information has Issued
review OF the .rst twelve months OF
hostiliues, showing what has been
done BY various branches OF the gov
ernmcnt to place the United States In
a position to play an effective part In
the ultimate defeat Of Germany aud
her allies. The committee on public
information says that all statements
contained In the following summary OF
the review are authorized by the war
department, navy department. United
States shipping board and treasury
department.
The outstanding feature Of the first
year OF war. 1t Is pointed out
ir the review, has been the transfor-
nation OF the standing army and Ma
tionai Guard, composed Of 1924 otfi-
GERS and 202,5l0 men into n fighting
force that now aggregates 123,sOl Of
fIcers and l,52s,024 enlisted men.
A statement OF the adjutant general
shows that the regular army which In
April. 1917. comprised o.70l officers
and l2l TOT men. now Is made up Of
lO.6es officers and 5Os,142 men. The
National Guard In April. 1917, includ-
ed 3,733 officers and 78,7i8 men. while
now II comprises Io.S0S ofiicers and
43l .t8S men. The reserve corps In
service one year ago included 1000
meo. Now Il includes e8.2l0 officers
and 1880 men. The National army.
which did not exist one year ago. now
includes 5l6,839 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 18 cantonments and 10
camps and on numerous aviation fields
and In n variety Of other schools In
all parts OF the United States the men
OF the remaining army are hardening
and training for their pnrt In the great
contest overseas.
Behind the activities Of this vast
force lies great industry organized
TO produce an adequate supply Of mu-
nitlons, 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.
Expcditionary Forces.
Military necessity particularly for
bids a detailed review OF the activities
of the American expedltlonary forces.
General Pershlng and his STAFF ar
rived In Paris on June II, 1917, 60
days after the declaration OF war. The
FIRST American troops arrived In
France on June 20. On July 4, In cell
ebration OF our natal day and new
Hght for liberty, American troops pa
raded the streets Of Paris and were
greeted us 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.
unry American soldiers took over per.
msnently 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.
munlcations, 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
msnse barracks, erected sawmllls, re-
claimed agricultural lands, md car.
ried forward many incidental enter.
prisss.
The construction OF an ordnance
base In France, costing $4,000 900, is
now well under way. Great quantities
Of material used In the foreign con.
struction work have been shipped from
the United Statcs-from fabricated
lronwork for an ordnance shop to nails
and crossties for railroads, and even
tho piles to build docks.
All the while there has been n 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 matc-
rinls. have been gratifyingly small
The greatest single loss occurred on
February 8, when the British shir
Tsscania was torpedoed and sunk
The bodies Of IA soldiers, en routc Il
France, have been found and 1 other
were still missing on March 10
To secure an adequate number OF
competent officers 10 lead the new
armies various p,aAs wsrs devised
Two slssses at West Ps,nt were grad
Atsd h advance Of the usual gradu
atiAS Gates and special exalsiaatiops
were held In various parts Of the eoua
try fss appointments from dvii life
Three ssries Of ofhccrs' training csnDs
have bssn held. OF 6s,2oo candidates
In The Arst two series Of camps ASH
| qualified and were awarded commits
sions. IN the third seriss Of campo
opened January 0. lelS, about iAoo(