The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-03
ARMY ALL HOME
BY SEPTEMBER
Speeding Up Confirms. Will
sons Plan to Evacuate Ger
many on Signing Treaty.
TROOPS MOVE SWIFTLY
DemObilization Machinery Is
Perfect-Indicates Wet
Period Before Winter.

WASHINGTON. May 2.-Determina-
ton Of President Wilson, indicated in
press advices from Paris. that no
American troops shall continue on
German soil for a longer period after
the signing Of the peace treaty than
may be necessary to embark them for
home, is borne out by present plans Of
the War Department. which contem-
plate the return OF the entire Amerf-
can Expeditionary Forces by Septem-
Der. Because Of this Gen. March,
Chief Of Staff, is making every effort
to speed up the demobilization in this
country.
An omcial announcement issued to-
day as to the accumulation Of surplus
clothing for the troops stated that the
estimates were based on troop with
draual to be completed in September. E"
Tho statement also said that If an
army of occupation is maintained
after September, a portion OF this sur.
plus will be needed"
This computation was taken to re-
! fleet exactly the present information
of the department as to future troop
movements.
When the President declares that de-
mobilization has been completed the war
time prohibition act at once becomes in
effective. inasmuch as it specifically
states that it is in force for the period
Of demobilixation only. and there Is at
present no law to prevent the manufac-
ture, importation and sale OF liquor be-
tween that time and January 1S, 1920,
when the constitutional amendment be-
comes effective. II President Wilson de-
cides that the armies have been dis
banded by September is. then the coun-
try will be wet" so far as laws are
concerned at least. until the prohibition
amendment goes into force. In any
event. IL the armies are demobilized be-
fore January 16 OF next year the country
will have short period ofj"wetness'
before the long dry spell.
Movement Schedule Exceeded.
Tho September date represents esti-
mates by embarkation officials as to the
maximum possible speed in withdra wing
the entire force in Europe, including the
troops holding the CoblenE bridgehead
sector on the Rhine. II anything, Of
hcers anticipate that the movement will
be accelerated rather than retarded.
The schedule has been exceeded recent
ly and in increasing measure from week
to week with an indicated monthly
movement OF 10000 men. TIE best
predictions OF Gen. March and his aides
bid fair, it was said. 10 be more than
realized.
Gen. March returned to-day from a
personal inspection OF rehabilitation
centres in the Southea stern Department,
completing the personal survey he began
with Secretary Baker before the latter
sailed for France. At each OF the camps
visited the Chief of Stsfr went over the
! rehabilitation machinery with tho
camp commander in detail. insisting that
| the torty-eight hour period for the pas
sage Of troops from the camps into civil
life be maintained and also checking up
the semi-permanent rehabilitation per-
sonnel at the camps in an effort to re-
duce the number of men who are being
held In the service for this work
/ II is believed that Gen. March will
be able In his interview with newspaper
/ correspondents tomorrow to furnish new
/ nRures showing the speed with which
tho breaking UP the army at home Is
being accomplished
work I'm Camps IL Expedited.
| Oficers recently returned from France
say that the two bottle necks" through
which practically the entire movement
must pass, the embarkation camp at
Brest and the debarkation station at
Hoboken, are now operating at re-
markable speed. The system 10 said to
| be SO precise that a unit or even an in-
dividuaI ofiicer or man who loses step
with the systems stride has a difticuit
time and probably never succeeds in
catching UP with the main now.
An instance Of the rapidity with which
the machine Is working was shown to-
day by the fact that among the Officers
reporting to Gen. March on his return
were some who started from their sectors
on the Rhine with their command just
twenty-one days ago.
Canal Service ON Eight hour Basis.
PANAMA, May 2.-The Government
owned Panama Railroad has put into
effect an eight hour day for the long