The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-05-21
MAJ. BENNETT TALKS0N ARMY
Praises Peace-Time Program and
Says 1t Means Best Men
Will Enter Service.
DISTRICT GOVERNOR HERE
Andy Arrant of Birminghan
Praises Pensacola Kiwanians
and Foresees Big Future.

Andy Arrant OF Birmingham, gov-
ernor Of the Alabama Florida Kiwanis
district, was a guest of honor at the
Kiwanis Club luncheon yesterday. His
arrival was unheralded aIthougFt ha
attempted to get into comnrnicatior
with the secretary of tae 9cai ciuh
by wire just before he LEI birmingham
Wednesday night Lazas calm had
charge Of yesterdays prograrn and tie
oral boost was by Major Il = Bennett
of Fort Barrancas. The siI,ut aoorf
was won by Edward r White and
was package of domino rans refined
granulated sugar.
In his talk TO the cit T. tha distrlcs
governor urged that the Pensacola XII
wanians send at least two delegates
to the Portland, Oregon, convention
with the party which leaves Birming-
ham June 6. Mr.. Arrant announced
that he is going to Jacksonville and
thence to Miami in the interests of Ili-
wants and expects to organize a new
club at Miami. He complimented The
Pensacola club on its activity and
wished it a prosperous future.
Mr.. Arrant was entertained at the
Country Club in the afternoon.
In his speech to the club, Major
Bennett said:
Mr.. President, Gentlemen of the Ki-
wants Club:
1t is not only a great pleasure buf
duty to be with you odae a.a "a
say a few words TO ycu 3UT or
army.
When the war was Ec.are1 hers
were only 200, 900 men in ras aF1as
of these were regulars al "a nstsonaI
guardsmen, who had tg~E -fted to
federal service for duty afGns the Wez-
ican border.
When the war ended this force "a
been increased to 20 tines its ize and
100000 men had served.
1t would be interesting and instruc-
tive to make comparisons between the
numbers in the American armies dur
ing the great war and those of France,
Great Britain, Italy and Germany, but
unfortunately this is most difficult to
do fairly and truly. The reason for the
difficulty lies in the diverse military
policies of the nations.
1t was the policy of France. for ex-
ample, to mobilize and put into uni
form most of the able-bodied men in
the population who were not beyond
middle age. Some of these were sent
into the combatant forces and services
of supply of the active armies. Thou
sands of others were put at work in
factories. Others worked on
railroads or cultivated their farms In
general it was the policy of the gov
to put its available man power
into uniform and assign these soldiers
to the work that had TO he done,
whether it was directly military in ma
ture or not.
In the United States il was the
policy to take into the army only
those men who We're physically fit to
fight and to assign them, save in ex-
ceptonal cases, only to work directly
related to the ordinary duties Of a SOL
der. The work of making munitions,
running railroads and building ships
was done by men not enrolled in the
armed forces of the nation.
The policies of the other govern
ments were all different from the two
Just described. These are the reasons
why accurate international compari-
sons of armies is not and may never
be possible.
There is however, one comparison
which may fairly be made. This is
the comparison between the American
Forces and the British
Forces. Both countries
devoted their major efforts TO building
up and maintaining their armies in
France. The British sent to France
many more men in their first year in
The war than we did in our first year.
On the other hand it took England
years to reach a strength of 100000
men in France and the United States
il in one-half that time.
Il must, however, be borne in mind
that the British had TO use men from
The beginning to fill gaps caused by
casualties. while the American forces
we're for many months built up in
strength by all the new arrivals.
The most difficult feature Of the
American undertaking is to be found
n the concentration of the major part
IF the effort into the few months Of
he spring and summer of 1918. When
he country entered the war II was
lot anticipated in America, or sug-
yested by France and England, that
he forces to be shipped overseas
should approximate in numbers those
hat were actually sent.
1t was not until the German drive
vas under way in March 1913 that the
lilies called upon America for the SUI
1reme effort that carried one and one
laf million soldiers to France in six
months. The willingness with which
he American people accepted the uni
yersal draft was the most remarkable
eature in the history OF our prepara-
ion for war. 1t is a noteworthy evi-
ience of the enthusiastic support given
1y the country TO the war progran
hat, despite previous hostility 10 the
principle of universal liability for mill
AIRY service, n few months after the
,elective service law was passed, the
standing OF the drafted soldier was
July as honorable in the estimation
IF his companions and OF the country
n general as was that OF the man
who enlisted voluntarily. Moreover.
he record of desertions from the army
shows that the total was smaller than
m previous wars and smaller pereen-