Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-09-07
Army and Navy News

war. He served actively with the
9th Division, and then was selected
to command the 163d Training and
Replacement Regiment in the saith
Division. He was especially quail
fed for this work because he has for
years been superintendent of the Bor-
dentown Military Academy.
Col Landon stated, in response to
direct questions, that 10000 men had
passed through this replacement regi-
m ent for training for the front lines.
When Senator Chamberlain asked
how long preparation these troops
had before they were put into action
Col. Landon replied that they We're
supposed to have from a month to six
weeks. but. unfortunately, did not al
ways get the full time. When the
senator pressed home the question
as to the actual time that some of the
men received the officer replied that.
in his opinion, it might be better not
to go too far with that line of in
Quiry.
Senator Chamberlain said that, in
his Judgment. it was great error to
withhold information from the peo-
pie. 1t was due to their ignorance of
the truth that they got wrong views
on the subject of military policy. If
there was anything wrong it ought
to be made public that it might be
corrected.
Thus pressed Col Landon replied
We were supposed to give the in
coming men from a month to six
weeks training before they were fit
to be called combat troops. But in
August and September there was an
imperative demand for men at the
front. and we were compelled by the
necessity of the situation to shorten
this term materially. In many in
stances we sent men to the front
with no more than week or ten
days of training. and it is a fact that
many of them gave evidence that
they had received but little instruc-
ton before they came. They were
ignorant of gas defense, the use of
the bayonet. and evidently had mad
little rife practice. OF course. under
those conditions many casualties re-
suited which would not have been If
the men had been suitably trained
before being sent in against expert
enced troops. However, it was war.
and these men had to be showed into
the front"
Col. Landon added that he always
tried to give these men the elements
use of the rife and the bayonet be-
fore letting them go forward into
action.
Col. Landon was supported by Col.
Gignillet, superintendent of Culver
Military School and a colonel acting
Cnle1 OF divisional SldH Ill INC
American expeditionary forces. also
by the superintendent of eight or
ten other schools represented at the
hearing, in the statement that many
of the casualties falling upon these
men hurried into action could have
been avoided if they had undergone
even a three-month course of mill
tary training camp in peace times.
X X
Some anomalous situations have
arisen in the course of the demobili-
cation of the
Hard on the Army; and one of
the most singular
ficers of high grades advanced to
emergency command rank in the A. E.
F. AS the units which these officers
had commanded were returned to the
United States and discharged from the
service. the War Department. in &C.
cordance with the necessities flowing
from the Army appropriation act. de-
NOTED them to their lineal rank in the
Regular Army; and accordingly some
165 officers who on the other side had
been brigadier or major generals
found themselves once more colonels
majors or even captains. This meant
serious loss OF pay to some who
could lily afford it. and to a shocking
lots of dignity to all of them The sit