Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 106, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 May 1917 — TRAINING THE OFFICERS WHO WILL COMMAND ONCLE SAM’S NEW ARMIES [ARTICLE]

TRAINING THE OFFICERS WHO WILL COMMAND ONCLE SAM’S NEW ARMIES

Thirty-Five Thousand Bright, Earnest Young Americans Assemble at Fourteen Camps Scattered About the Country to Be Drilled in the Science of War —Picked for Mental and Physical Qualities.

Washington. Thirty-five thousand bright, energetic, earnest young Amerjcans are assembling at 14 camps, scattered throughout the country, to form the nucleus of Uncle Sam’s new armies. From them will be chosen three months hence the 10,000 subalterns needed for the first army increment of 500,000, who will begin training about the first of August. The war department called for the "most experienced natural leaders the country possesses” to fill the officers’ training camps, and high military officialshere agreed as to the fine caliber of the material obtained. Every one of the 35,000, besides passing a rigid physical examination, is either a college graduate or has had a business career Indicating his special intelligence, personality and capacity for organization and Inspiring leadership. The 35,000> themselves are picked men. Even of those who passed the requirements only a part, those deemed most promising, can be accommodated In the camps. And when it is considered that only two out of every seven men attending the camps will lie assigned a post in the new armies at the close of, the three months’ grueling study and drill, it is obvious no drones,' no “boneheads” and no weaklings physically, mentally or morally, should get the coveted assignments. But those who failed to obtain entrance to a camp, or who are not chosen at the end of the first three months need not give up hope of serving their country as officers. Another set of camps, probably larger than the first, will inynedlately follow these, and the facilities for turning out leaders for the new troops will be expanded as America gradually develops the full force of her power. Have an Advantage.

neers. Other men who will have'"been selected for the coast artyiery will proceed to Fort Monroe, Va., or Fort Winfield Scott, Cal., for the remainder of their training. Those who remain at the division camps will receive two months' training after the reassignment mentioned above. “At the end of the whole period the regular army officer in charge will select from each company, troop and battery the officers for one regiment of the corresponding Thus we shall have carefully selected officers for sixteen infantry divisions and two cavalry divisions by the time that the supply departments can furnish equipment for these troops and by the time the necessary machinery can be put la motion for procuring the enlisted men. “Each company, troop and battery must furnish approximately 45 officers. Those who are not selected for immediate use will nevertheless be commissioned In the officers’ reserve corps, if found to be competent, and will be available for use In connection with any additional force that may be authorized. ' “The total number of officers requ 1 red for tfie Infantry divisions and the two cavalry divisions is approximately 10,000. These should be preferably mature men and the most experienced natural leaders that the country possesses. It is recognized that there are thousands of men throughout the country between the ages of tweijty-one and forty-four who have had more or less military experience, either In the regular army or National Guard or at military schools. With the basic experience supplemented by natural aptitude for handling men as demonstrated in business or otherwise, a splendid corps of 10,000 reserve officers should be available by the middle of July. Should Be the Best. “It is necessary that ‘the first ten thousand’ should be the best that the country has, jin planning our military forces we must assume that the war Is by no means drawing to a close, and that the country must expand its military forces as rapidly and effectively as the resources of the country permit. The 16 infantry divisions and two cavalry divisions aggregate approximately half a million men. The officers of these forces must receive substantial promotion to meet the demands of forces to be raised later. It is conceivable that many men who are appointed in ‘the first ten thousand’ must be promoted one grade with each successive addition to our military force. For this reason the war department hopes that mature men will seek appointment in ’the first ten thousand.’ “Other similar camps must follow this first camp. Young men must be admitted to the first camp, but not to the exclusion of inaturer men. In the second and following camps young men will predominate. “In making provision for instructors at these training camps the resources of the war department have been taxed to the utmost. The number of instructors is not nearly as great asit should be,but it is hoped and believed that many reserve officers and candidates for appointment as such who would be in attendance at those camps will have special qualifications to teach certain subjects and in this way will be of matertai assistance to the regular army officers. This depends so much upon the personnel of eaehinslruelloucompany that the matter must be regulated by the regular army officers in charge of each company.— - Book Wilt Be Furnished. “The outline of the entire course of instruction will be prepared in the war department and furnished to the commanding officers of the camps. “Books, maps and printed matter in general will be furnished by the government Those who attend the camps should bring books they possess, but the authorized and necessary books for Individuals will be furnished on arrival la camp. L , “The minimum age of those who attend is twenty years and nine months.

Many of the young fellows now at file mobilization points already have commissions in the officers’ reserve corps, others have had good records in the National Guard or other military organizations, or school training for war work. Thews men >ave an advantage over the rest, for no one is barred from the camps, by entire lack of direct military experience. The more experienced, however, are most likely to get their commissions first. The rest may attend a second or even a third camp and then be drafted into ' the new armies. Training in the camps will be intensive as possible, but will be severely handicapped by a lack of suitable Instructors. Officers of the British and French armies, some of them wounded, have been coming back from the western hattie front in the last few weeks and it is expected the small corps of regular army instructors- at each camp will be materially assisted by these veterans, who are fresh from the most awful struggle in history. The eyes of the whole nation will be on these camps, a unique establishment in American history. Every town and almost every village has furnished a camp member, and his career will be closely watched by his -friends and relatives. The best account of how the camps will he conducted is given in an order issued by the adjutant general at Washington, brigadier general H. B, McCain. The details will have, to be worked out at each camp and it will count. General McCain says: •'During the first month of the camp those In attendance will be divided into 15 companies, regardless of the arm of the service for which the Individuals are destined. During this month the qualifications of each man will be studied, with a view to assigning the necessary numbers for further instruction in the separate arms Of the service. —w A Selected by Merit. "At‘ the end of the first month men will be reassigned in due proportion Co as to form nine Infantry companies, three batteries of artillery, two troop* of cavalry and one company of engi-

This enables the war department to appoint suitable young men who are twenty-one years of age at the end of the training period. The maximum age is forty-four years. It is expected that students at colleges who are members of the Reserve Officers’ Training corps and who are especially fitted to become members of the ‘first ten thousand’ will be selected by the regular army officer on duty at the college and admitted to these camps. Such students should preferably go to the camp that pertains to their home states. It is believed that colleges in general will graduate seniors who attend these camps.”