Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1919-01-29
wALHAII.A, SOUTH CAROLINA. WEl
U. S. HAD NEXT LARGEST ARMY
On Western Front When the Ar
mistico Was Signed.


time the armistice was signed, Gen.
March, chief Of staff, announced to-
day in his weekly conference with
representatives Of the press.
The Allied armies on the Western
front at this time ranked as follows
in prOpOrtionate strength:
First-France, total strenth Of
2,257,O00 men.
second-The United States, total
strength of 1,950,1O0 men.
Third-Great Britain, total
strength of 1,718.000 men.
Next ranked Belgium and Italy,
with u total combined strength of
approximately 100000 men, the
general said.
Figures Arc Complete.
These figures have just been re-
ceived by the War Department, Gen.
March stated, and are practically
complete.
The suspension of the wartime
severity Of army court.Inartiai sen-
tences also was announced by Gen
March. The general explained that
during the war sentences for deser-
ton, absence without leave, insubor-
dination and Of like nature were
dealt with great severity. The sus-
however, does not commute those
sentences that are now being served.
All such combinations, he said,
must be made by the President him
self, who approved the sentences
when they were dealt.
015,553 Men Discharged.
TO date 57,366 officers and S5S,-
1877 enlisted men have been dis
| charged from the army, Gen. March
| announced, and the number desig-
mated for discharge, including both
! the men who have served overseas
and those who remained in this
| country, Is now 100000. Reports
reaching the War Department indi-
cate that Great Britain has taken
to speeding up the rehabilitation OF
her men, the total since the signing,
Of the armistice being 12,759y officers
kand 81 ,450 men of 5 other grad es. .a
sNVill Speed up Mn
| The failure Of friends and rela-
uves OF members Of Expeditionary
Forces to receive mail from overseas
has Iesulted in the War Department
taking action, which, Gen. March
said, will result soon in the next of
kin OF every man in foreign service
hearing from him. Form post cards
have been ordered and will be sent
to Gen. Pershing, with instructions
that they be issued to every man,
with orders that they be filled out
and mailed at once to the next of
kin.
recent War Department order,
| Gen. March observed, has been mis-
construed to mean that men could
| not wear divisional insignia in the
| United States. The department has
| no intention Of depriving any SOL
| dier OF displaying such insignia, he
| = ided
10 Die in Fighting Reds.
Gen. March also read n dispatch
from Archangel, reviewing the re-
cant action in which the Allied
forces were forced to withdraw in
the face Of attacks by the Bolsheyiki
The dispatch, which was dated
January %, failed to supplement
those received through press chan
nels. however. The American cas-
ualties were placed at ten killed and
seventeen wounded
| The War Department studied the
question Of rehabilitation very care
fully before adopting any policy"
Gen. March said. "Two needs Of
the country were kept constantly in
mind: First, the resumption as
rapidly as possible of the normal in
dustrial life Of the country, and
second. replacement therein OF in
d!viduals in the military forces and
in occupations which ended upon
the cessation of hostilities.
The War Department gave
serious consideration to the plan of
making the order Of discharge de-
pend on the availability Of Industrial
positions to which the individual
soldier might return as opposed to
the plan Of disbanding complete or
ganizations in the order Of their
availability for discharge.
Scheme Is Impracticable.
"Fhe former plan was deemed i'm
practicable. The preliminary inves-
| tigation discloses that an equitable
| determination Of such schedule, If
practicable at all under present con-
| ditions in this country, would have
| delayed all demobiliza ton beyond
| reason.
| "On The other hand. disarmament
/ OF complete military units could be
| and was Immediately begun.
| ''In this way the military situation
was safeguarded. and at the same
time rehabilitation was accelerated
If cross section Of industrial or ag-
ricultural class discharge had been
at once cut across all military Or
ganiZatons. the integrity and enl-
cheney or every unit would have
| been destroyed at the outset, to the
confusion of orderly procedure and
the retardation OF the whole demob-
iliXatiOn program "