Evening star., 1941-12-17
Great Advance Seen
In u. S. War Effort
Writer Compares Current
Stutus With That
OF 1918
By Jay G. Hayden.

Both in speed and intensity of contact
with the enemy and impact on the lives
and liberties of the people at home.
American participation in the present
war is bound to osdWarf to inSignificance
the part we played in the first World
War.
A newspaper reporter in Washington
during 1918, the writer probably has
keener recollection of American events
during that period than most present
day folks, but it was necessary to turn
back into the history books to discover
just how unprepared we were and how
puny even was our overall contribution
to German defeat.
Here are a few facts: The United
States declared war against Germany on
April 6, 1917 but it was May IL before
President Wilson issued an order to re-
cruit the units of our Regular Army up
to war strength.
The first draft act, applicable to men
between 81 and 35 years of age, was
passed May 18, 1917; the first draft
registration occurred June S, and the
drawing of draft numbers July 20. On
the latter date President Wilson an
nounced plans to add 687 1000 men to the
Army and Navy.
There obviously was no hurry in call
ing additional troops because there was
neither housing nor equipment for them.
In his World War "reminiscences, Gen.
John J. Pershing supplied pertinent de-
tails.
When we declared war, Pershing says,
our ordnance stock consisted of 285,000
Springfield rifles, 400 light and $50 heavy
field guns and 1900 machine guns, the
latter of three different types. In 1916
Congress had appropriated sic 100000 for
purchase OF machine guns but none had
been bought for the reason that the
Army high command still was debating
as to which type of gun should be Sc
lected.
The personnel of our Air Force con-
sisted of 1000 enlisted men and IS Of
ficerS, of whom only 35 were trained to
fly. Our total air equipment, Pershing
says, comprised IS training planes, Of
which four were obsolete" and 81 "ob-
solescent"
Pershing himself arrived in France
June 13 to command a non-existent A.
E. F. A small token force reached France
late in June. but American troops did
not enter the fighting until October,
when the First Division was assigned to
a quiet trench sector for combat ex-
perience. The first American shot was
fired on the Western Front October 81,
and the first American casualty there
occurred November 8.
AS Of the last day Of January. 1913
| nearly 10 months after We declared war
-Pershing reports that the A. e. F. con-
sisted of 10000 combat troops. $4,000
engineers, and $1,000 in service of supply
and other non-combatant categories.
| Pershing records message from Secre-
tary of War Newton D. Baker, at about
| this date, saying that So, 900 men might
be shipped to France during April, 1918
| II the British would furnish ships to
carry them.
| Pershing says the number of Amer
ican troops in France on April 80. 1918,
was 23,548 officers and 406111 enlisted
men, He tells, however, of an acrimo-
nious meeting of Allied representatives
at Abbeville May /, In which Premier
Clemenceau of France asserted that
"only five divisions or about 1885, 900 (of
the American troops in France) can
be considered combatants." Under spur
| of the severe defeats suffered by the
British and French armies in April and
| May, 1918, American help was greatly
speeded up During April 245,O 900 OF our
| troops landed in France, and during
May, 306 900 But it was early July be-
fore we could boast that our first million
! had arrived on foreign soil.
Excepting small arms, American Worlc
War soldiers fought largely with British
and French equipment. Our industrla
production lines really were just begin
ming to roll when the war ended.
In comparison with all this the Unltec
States today is remarkably we'll prepar'
ed. Draftees began entering training
more than year ago with result thai
we have an Army of 900 900 men train
ed or nearly so. Because the bulk Of ou1
output of new Army material has beer
taken by Lease-Lend we are short ol
tanks and other larger items OF equip
ment. but our production has reached
a point where this deficiency can bt
quickly supplied. Divisions, fully-man'
ned and equipped probably are ready
to move to fighting fronts overseas mucr
faster than ships can be provided u
carry them.
Even after subtracting the heavy
losses at Pearl Harbor, confirmed oy
Secretary of the Navy Knox Monday
the American Navy still is the match o.
any other navy in the world, both II
trained personnel and equipment.
The point it here is intended to stres!
is that actual American participation II
war will be much swifter and greater II
scope than in 1918, and that war i'm
pact on civilians correspondingly viii
be intensified.
For at least year after we entered
the first World War there was scarcel!
any censorship of American war new
because we had little to hide. Durlnl
all Of 1917 business as usual" was th'
rule. Taking over OF the railroads OF
the last day Of that year was the frs
significant step toward control OF com
merce or industry. Bernard M. Baruci
did not assume the role Of industria
czar until March, 1918, and the creation
of the Taft-Walsh Labor Board, VIII
some semblance of power to curb strikes
did not occur until q month later.
r,rL.- ooa,,ioe urore harplV beQinnluI