The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-10-30
Favored Placing Americans
in French and British
Armies, Author Says.
PLAN TERMED FATAL
Ex-Army Officer DiSCIoSeS
Correspondence in New
Volume on Baker.
BY RAYMOND CLAPPER
United Press STAFF Correspondent

creation of a separate American eX-
peditionary force in France and
recommended infiltration of Ameri-
can troops with French and British
armies is contained in a book en-
titled Newton D. Baker: America
at War;" by Frederick Palmer, just
issued.
Hoover's recommendations, made
just before the United States en-
tered the war, were rejected. Presi-
dent Wilson, Secretary of War
Baker and General PerShing were
strongly in favor of maintaining a
separate American army.
Hoover, it is disclosed, also later
urged class exemptions from the
draft for agriculturists. of the fore
man, manager and ownership type"
but his plan was rejected as being
"too indefinite for practical appli-
cation"
Regarded French Army Best
Under the heading Herbert Hoo
ver's Military Plan" Palmer said.
"Abstractiy, the infltration of our
man power in small units into the
veteran European armies under their
inexperienced stats seemed to be
the logical plan. Herbert Hoover IA
vored it.
I'm letter to Colonel E. M. House
on Feb Is, 1917, he included it as
one of his suggestions under nine
oooJe &c +O O1,y. YNr0oaduro in fba
event that we should enter the war.
He would have no political alliance,
only military cooperation"
When the letter was written Hoo
yer was chairman of the commission
for relief in Belgium.
Hoover's plan also outlined eco-
nomic measures to aid in the war.
He took the position that the
French army had passed the zenith
of its power, with its number de-
creaSing from casualties, but still
the most skillful army in Europe.
U. S., Recruiting Ground"
"An American expeditionary force
would require long preparation and
much transport, and large Ameri-
can army In France would have 'po-
litical difficulties in association
Palmer said, paraphrasing the Hoo
yer memorandum. "He would have
the United States become a recruit
ing ground for the French or other
allied armies
IF our government gave slim
illus by the provision of pensions,
ETC., I am confident that a large
body of men could be recruited and
sent simply as man power to France.
These men, put into the train
ing depots in Europe, would be ready
for front-line work within four or
five months and they would form a
nucleus upon which a skilled army
subsequently could be built if we
desired to go further into the mat
ter"
Fatal to Efficiency"
Palmer said the Hoover plan was
rejected because it would be fatal to
efficiency to mix men of different
habits, food, temperaments, and to
subject Americans to alien control
as to billets and the way they should
fight, with racial friction and the
possibility of indignation at home in
event of loss of life under alien
command.
The book, just published by Dodd,
Mead 81 Co., answers many criti-
cismS set forth in General Pershing's
memoirs as to the conduct of the
war at Washington.
Based on war documents of Baker.
the account of Palmer, former war
correspondent and officer of the
A. E. F., reveals that Pershing was
supported loyalty in the execution Of
the war, though Baker differed with
him on numerous fundamental noli.
cieS.
Pershing Unrelenting
Pershing was represented as IN
slsting on 100 American divisions in
France, even after Foch had told
Baker he could win the war with
forty. His insistence on uncondi-
tlonal surrender of the Germans
was waved aside by Wilson and
Baker.
on the eve of the armistice. after
austria had surrendered, LudendorfF
mad resigned and the kaiser had
ned from Berlin to Spa, Pershing
urgently was cabling Washington
demanding to know why his request
LOT more men could not "be given
the consideration its Importance de-
serves" Pershing at that time was
preparing for another year of fight
ing, Palmer says.
Baker for Preparedness
In the course of reading stacks
OF war documents, I gradually have
come to the conviction that bv tha
summer Of 1913 the home effort was
better organized than that in FIJI
rope" Palmer says.
Before war was declared. Bake-
nad told the general staff that II
was not preparing for large enough
army and he said it would be raised
Dy draft and gave orders for prem
aration OF draft plan.
answering criticisms that the ad-
inlnlStratlon was unprepared for
war documents are produced tn
snow that Baker urged a prenarad-
ness policy on President wilson
year before war was declared. twice
resisted efforts of President Wilson
70 stop the war college from prepar-
ing war plans, and urged general
extension of the Plattsburg idea
BAKER also is shown to have fought
on attempts to curb the power oS
ire general staff, spent a billion
on emergency supplies with
out waiting for congress to annro-
pTlate money. though ne risked vio-
lation Of criminal statute to do
SO, and finally sent out millions of
draft forms to 10000 sherifs while