The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-25

I of these narratives give the American
/ army credit for victory over the British
in every battle, whereas official records
as we have show that this was not the
case. Despite this. unofficial histories
| have their place in filling various needs
of the public, for there must be school
histories, technical histories, vest
pocket histories and those of infinite
| detail
The army history OF the war is to be
| written In A style simple enough to be
readable to the average individual.
| Different volumes will be devoted to
| different phases of the war. For ex-
| ample. there will be three volumes on
| diplomatio relations, others on military
operations and yet others on economic
mobilization. This last will cover the
broad subject of Americas preparation
for war, including such objects as food
conservation Campaigns. the production
of munitions, the making OF the army.
Besides the seventeen written vol
umes, thirteen volumes of pictures are
to be published. A collection OF 100000
war pictures is on file at the army war
college, and from this material selec-
lions are being made for a great pic
torial war history. Moving picture
films taken by the pictorial division OF
the army are also to be made part OF
the official record
The exact methods Of printing and
distributing these histories must be de-
termined by congress and funds appro-
priated. So far 1t Is not even known
whether the government printing office
will be assigned to the manufacture OF
this history or whether it will be done
commercially.
The official volumes are being pro-
pared with great elaboration and II Is
not expected that any Of them will be
ready for several years. No volume will
be distributed until the whole set Is
ready.
In time of peace, the historical sec
ton OF the army expects to continue
in existence in order to be ready for
| mergenry and also, possibly, to write
| the long neglected official histories of
our past wars. Aside from the vol
| umes it writes this organization will
make every effort to prepare COM
| plete record for the researcher of the
/ future who wants to delve deep into the
record
The navy's history of its part In the
war is. like the army account. in pro-
| cess of construction. One officer in
each naval vessel was ordered during
| the war to keep war log of his ship
| to be turned In to the navy department
| at the close of the war. Every officer
| in charge of important naval work has
| been requested to write out the story of
| his work for the use of the navy his
| torical bureau. Then, too, the histor-
| ical bureau has been collecting data
| abroad and In this country.
The navy expects to publish a number
| of small pamphlets to cover most of the
! facts of its war history. One book of
| this sort is to tell the story of the
| North Sea mine barrage which was the
! biggest naval ordnance project ever
undertaken. Other plans will de-
scribe operations in European waters
and operations Of submarines off the
United States coast. Later a bigger
| and more comprehensive history, SIM
| liar to the armys attempt is to be
written If congress provides the means.
Unlike the army, the navy has no
elaborate pictorial organization, and
| consequently it has a compare lively
small collection of photographs, A lit
tie group of men in the bureau OF navi-
CATION of the navy department were de-
tailed to take pictures. Every ship
too. was supplied with a camera and
commandments were requested to send
In photos. From these sources enough
pictures have come in for the navy TO
count on Issuing a pictorial war his
tory, either alone or in combination
with the army.
The remaining arm OF the service. the
marine corps. started on It's official his
tory late in the war. Up until then 1t
supposed the navy department would
take the responsibility of collecting his
torical data for all branches of the
naval service. When the corps discov-
cred that the navy did hot expect to do
this, It sent its own historians over
seas. There they exercised the custom
airy marine snap and soon they were
prepared to hand out to any inquirer
historical record which was intended
to convince him beyond a doubt that
these were the fighters who had won
the war.
Aside from these concerted efforts.
there have been sporadic attempts at
history writing. Assistant Secretary
of War Crowell. for instance. has had
prepared by officer journalists a vol
ume entitled Americas Munitions"
and 1t is understood that others are to
follow.
These volumes make a record of stu
pendous acco rplishments while the
facts are still available at first hand
and promise to be OF great future val
tie.
Subject Of tomorrow's letter. Pigeon
DemOhiliZa tiOO -