Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 September 1917 — DRA[?] ARMY IS THE FINEST [ARTICLE]

DRA[?] ARMY IS THE FINEST

Raw Material Easiest to Train and Aino Most Inspiring. Washington, D. C., September 20. —'While mobilization of the first major Increment of the national army was proceeding today throughout the country, Secretary Baker and the chiefs of the war department api>eared''ibefore the senate committee to present requests for an additional $287,416,000 with which to provide equipment for a total force of 2,300,000 men. Included among the items Is the ordnance equipment for the next 5 00,000 men of the national army, V although the 300,000 or more men on the move today toward the training cantonments are only half of the first call. Regular officers assigned to command regiments of the national army are looked upon somewhat enviously by their comrades who remain with the regulars or go to the national guard. It is a common expression among these officers that the task of training the absolutely new forces Is an inspiring one to a man who likes to see his company, troop or battery develop from day to day. The national army men are all nearly of an age. They (have no old theories of soldiering to unlearn. They are ready to put all the vim of their youth immediately into the lessons of today from the battle fronts. Freedom, frotmi old prejudices or from internal political factions which beset some guard organizations, and many other things also are on the side of the new army. There are many officers who believe it will become, as a fighting force, the finest body of troops in the world.