Evening star., 1942-09-13
American Monpower
Must Beur Wars Burden
BIZ O1oen L. Scott.

made to go ahead at record speed, to
build a mass American Army. This de-
cision means that two earlier conceptions
of how the war is to be won now are
either altered or abandoned.
One conception, strongly held, had
been that the United States would sup
ply the war materials and the British
Empire, Russia and China would provide
most of the men for war. German con-
| quests that now almost sever the supply
lines to Russia and japanese conquests
! that have closed all but the thinnest air
| lines to China have blasted that concept.
The second conception of the Amer
ican part in the war had been that this
country would supply the bombers to
! bomb Germany into defeat. So long as
Russia keeps large part OF the German
air force engaged in the East, very
| great effort will be made to try out this
| concept. However. there is far less faith
| among informed officials that this meth
| cd of warfare will produce decision.
Instead, the idea is being accepted that
| only a mass land Army driving across
Europe can provide the assurance of
victory that the United States must
| seek.
| 1t is at this point that the new Amer
| lean plans enter the picture. The Brit
ish Empire is able to put into the field
no more than 100000 well trained and
well equipped men. Not many more
! than 100000 of these men are IN the
| British Isles themselves. Hitler, count
ing his allies, has at least l2,ooo,0o
men to use in performing the various
| Jobs of policing and of conquest that he
has set out for himself.
Russia right now is keeping large
proportion of Hitler's men busy. There
| is no assurance, however, that Russia
can continue forever to keep the Ger
mans tied down in the East. II Russia
cannot hold down all of the German
armies then a very large part of the
burden that has rested upon Russian
manpower probably will have to shift to
American manpower.
A conclusion of this kind appears to
lie behind the decision to speed up the
! creation of vast American Army. That
Army today is larger than it was in the
First World War when it reached a
maximum of 100000 men. Plans call
for the Army to reach 100000 men, plus
100000 in the air forces. That means
that 100000 American men out of an
estimated supply of 100000 physically
| fit between the ages of 18 and As, will be
moving into the army. Another 100000
of these men are to be drawn into the
| Navy.
Creation of an army of this size Is
proceeding at an unprecedented pace.
Mai. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey has ad-
| vised local draft boards that they will
be expected to continue throughout the
remainder of 1912 and through 1943 to
supply men at the very high rate of call
in September To do that means that
1t will be necessary not only to draft
18 and 10 year old youths but to take
all physically fit married men without
children and to make a dent in the sup
ply of married men with children.
If forced to do so, the United States
could build an Army of about $4,000 00(
and still be no more strained than
Hitler is in building his army of 10000
000
The catch, however, is that finding
men for mass Army is the least diff
cult part of the task. One great prob
lem comes in supplying the weapons for
a mass Army. A second problem equally
as large, is involved in moving that Army
to the battlefronts and in keeping 1t
supplied once it gets into action.
The first problem is being solved none
too we'll up to this time. Men moving
overseas are fully equipped for action
and it is announced that this number
now is greater than 100000. Yet the
great bulk of the American Army still i
short Of the weapons and ammunition
and other equipment that it is going tC
require. This part of the task will moi
be we'll in hand until mid1943.
The second problem only now is yield
ing to treatment. Movement of an Arm,
fully equipped with modern weapons /!
a colossal task. 1t calls for more thar
1000 ships to move 100000 men witt
their equipment and then it calls fol
200 ships in constant service to keel
those men supplied. If several millior
men are to be transported and supplied
Britain, the amount of shipping re
quired is staggering. Yet, until the las
month or two, the Germans were sink
ing more ships than were being built.
Despite the problems involved tn
task of creating this mass Army and O
/ moving it to the scene of action, are t
! be tackled. The fact that emphasis
r shifting to creation of very large Arm
shows that those who shape policy eXpec
: this war to continue at least until 1944
The United States by 1914 can have
- trained and fully equipped Army of fe'
more than 100000 men, if that many
1t certainly will have great difficult
moving that many men overseas.
Army plans concern the war with Ger
t many They are secondary in the wa
with Japan. The reason why is that tn
: Pacific war is likely to be primarily
job for the Navy and the Army A
= Forces. When and if the time come
i to depend upon a large Army in the Fa
East it probably will have to be Chimes
e army using American equipment
S The Navy, too is enlarging its plan
The official report now is that the Nav
6 build up its strength to 100000 mel
q That is 100000 more than the numbe
;. announced only a short time ago.
E reveals that the Navy as we'll as tn
= Army is raising its estimate of the mum
= ber of men required to do the job as
i signed to it, In the case of the Nav
nucb of the increase in OerSonOe1 ma