Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-05-06
AMERICAN ARMY
ON RHINE IS BEST.
FOR SIZE IN WORLD.
CAPABLE OF TAKING TO THE
FIELD IN ~ HOURS TIME
EQUIPPED WITH ALL NeCsS'
sARY SERVICES.

CoDienz, May "A complete ou,tt
h miniature army equipped with all
necessary services, capable OF taking
the field al twenty-fouT hours notice
without the assistance Of any outside
elements and one OF the best military
units ever organized in the worlds
history Of armies such is The de.
scription that military men, allied
neutral and former enemies apply 70
the American army Of Occupation as
il is constituted today
Tha. the efficiency Of the training
system of the American forces in Ger
many, the excellence Of their equip
ment and their faultless military bear
ing are generally recognized through
out Europe is shown by the fact that
missions from various countries have
either visited Coblen2 during the past
few months or have applied for per-
mission to come 10 this base 10 get
first hand knowledge OF how il is done.
A few weeks ago the Chief of StaH
OF the Swiss army, accompanied by
several officers, spent week in
Coblenz as the guest of General Allen,
the American commander attended
inspections visited the barracks, re-
viewed the troops and returned TO
Berne to tell The officers of the Swiss
army that the American army on the
Rhine was the most upto-date. the
best equipped and the best looking
military outfit of all the armies of the
world
A commission from the Netherlands
made a similar visit and was equally
favOrably impressed and now the Fin
nish government has asked permission
10 send a commission to Coblen2
Should circumstances require the
American army on the Rhine to move
against an enemy or to occupy furth-I
er territory. 10000 infautrymen COM
posed of the First and Second bri.
gades would furnish the bulk Of the
fighting force.
Their advance would be guarded
against surprises and ambush by 300
cavalry and eighteen airplanes, which
would do The scouting before the NOV
ing infantry. Three trained pilots are
available for each plane in case Of
airmen meeting with accidents
One thousand artillery men, serving
eight batteries of field guns. would be
on hand to supply a baTrage. should II
become necessary.
Three hundred men of the Signal
corps battalion would look after tele
phone and telegraph communications
with he base al COblenz The Rail
way Engineers battalion, which is re-
ceiving constant practical training on
a little branch line on the right bank
of the Rhine which they are operating
would, with the assistance OF the Mo-
tor Transports corps, attend to the
service OF supplies Of the expeditions.
AIRY force
The Engineers First battalion would
throw pontoon bridges over such
streams as were traversed in the ad.
vance Six ambulance companies as.
sisted by a Medical corps OF COO, cs-I
tabishing field hospitals, would give
first help to the wounded before their
evacuation TO the base hospital
Only one arm used in modern war.
fare is lacking tanks As one officer
remarked facetiously: We have no
tanks of any sort in this army"
There is a machine gun section with
every company instead OF one to ey-
cry battalion as formerly.
Thus while the Army OF Occupation
in Germany numbers just a little
more than half the electives Of one
American division on war footing. il
~, nevertheless, real army in the
fullest sense of the term