The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1931-06-18

necessary TO QlScndrge DeIOT6 mluce-
meat could be unloaded. Result
mincemeat aboard ship Thanksgiving
day. Sweet potatoes arrived on Da-
kotan and could not be unloaded un-
til November %; result, some troops
did not have sweet potatoes. 1t was
necessary to buy geese to fill requi-
sitions on account of part Of turkeys
not arriving, Notwithstanding the fact
that Thanksgiving supplies were or
dered to arrive in France November L."
Although we had treated this matter
lightly, really felt regret that some
of our troops had been deprived Of
homelike Thanksgiving dinner, and at
the same time was not at all pleased
to have further evidence Of careless
loading Of ships.
Need Two Regular Divisions.
In considering the composition Of
our expeditionary forces, it was a
question whether we ought to organ
ize higher units by using regular regi-
ments, with a proportionate number
of new officers, or utilize the perma-
nent commissioned personnel of the
line for equitable assignment to the
citizen contingents and leave our reg
ular organizations to be completed
from the relatively raw material at
our disposal, and thus build up all
categories of the army simultaneously.
recommended that regular regi-
ments at Honolulu and elsewhere be
relieved for this purpose by National
Guard regiments. These regular troops
would more nearly approximate the
standards of our allies at the start,
and, more important still, their use
would diminish the chances of reverses
during our first encounters with the
enemy. The acting chief Of staff at
home, Mai. Gen. John Biddle, agreed
with my suggestion, but the widely
separated locations Of these regiments
made their replacement somewhat diff
ficult, and only the Third, Fourth and
Fifth divisions came in time for serv-
ice early in 1918, the Sixth and Sew
enth arriving to take part in the fall
campaign.
CHAPTER XIV
The progress Of our preparation at
home at this time December, 1910
was far from being satisfactory, as
tests Of newly arrived troops showed
their instruction was not up to our
standards in France.
It was evident that my recommends.
lions were being disregarded. This
faulty training at home threw an
extra burden upon US Of training Off
GERS and men after their arrival.
had urged that we should follow
our own conception Of training. en-
phasizing the rife and bayonet as the
supreme weapons Of the infantry SOL
der, and insisted upon training for
open warfare.
The training Of officers for the gen.
eral staff, which also necessarily had
to be undertaken in France, was well
under way at the general staff school,
at Langres, forty miles south of Chau-
mont, under the able direction Of Ma
jor General McAndrew. The three
months course of instruction was
based upon our staff organization and
was conducted by our own instructors,
with two or three French and an
equal number of British officers to as
sist as lecturers. The difficulty was
the scarcity Of officers available for
detail as students.
We were confronted with the task of
building up an army Of millions that
would require as many trained staff
officers as we had officers in the whole
regular army at the beginning Of the
war. To meet this urgent demand
Washington was asked to send over
in advance a small percentage Of off,
GERS from each division for instruc-
ton, but only few ever came.
My diary notes the following:
Chaumont, Wednesday, Jan. 2,
191S.-Both French and British
pressing US for amalgamatiOn.
Went to Marshal Haig's head
quarters Friday by rail, accom-
panied by Colonel Wagstaff, and
spent the night. Motored through
heavy snowdrifts out from Etaples;
gangs Of conscientious DIRECTORS"
opening up roads. Discussed with
Sir Douglas possible shipment by
and training Of American troops
with British.
Visited king and queen Of Bel
GUM and their army at Adenkirke
on Saturday.
AS we have seen, there has been
some talk Of the British providing
shipping to bring over American troops
for training behind their lines. Dur
ing the evening spent with Sir Doug
las Haig, as noted in the diary, he pre-
scented his plans for training our
troops. His idea was to place the bat
talions as they arrived, one to the bril-
gade, in selected British divisions,
preferably those serving on the south
ern part Of their front, and then
gradually to increase the number Of
battalions until the division should be-
come wholly American.
Hoping to commit the British def
nitely on the question Of tonnage,
which up to that time we had not
succeeded in doing, did not offer seri-
GUS objection to the plan and even