Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 69, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 November 1918 — SOLDIER SOYS COMING HOME [ARTICLE]

SOLDIER SOYS COMING HOME

Many Units Not Needed Will Soon Be Back in U. S. Washington, November 23. —General March announced today that authority had been given General Pershing to send home all troops not being needed in the army occupation. He said General Pershing had indicated that the following units would not be required: Divisions 31st, '34th, 38th, 39th, 76th, 84th, 86th and 87th. Coast artillery regiments 46 th, 47th, 49th, 50th, 75th and 76th. . Field artillery brigades 65th and 103 d. In addition General Pershing indicated that the following general classes of troops will be .returned: Railroad artillery troops, tank corps, air forces and those divisions broken for use as , replacements for the other divisions which had seen active service. Troops returning immediately from England, General March said, will include practically all of the air squadrons, sixteen, construction companies, one sail makers detachment, one Handley-Page training station and several photographic and radio sections. Orders for the return of these already have been issued. Movements of troops from France will be expedited in every way, the chief of staff said, and he added that they will not ‘‘sneak into the country, either.” Taking up the advance x of the allied forces, General March pointed out that the American army is heading for Coblenz, the center bridgehead on the Rhine, where ft should arrive about December 1. The British forces will occupy the bridgehead north at Cologne and the French the bridgehead to the east at Mainz..

The strength of the American army to be kept in France was not indicated beyond the demobilisation plans announced. American troops in Italy, including the 3-32 d infatry, will be stationed for the time being at Cattaro, Fiuine and Triest, one battalion of the infantry being at each place. Demobilization of the forces at home is proceeding steadily. At Camp Dix, General March said, he found 260 a day being released. Several of the present Camps will be abandoned as soon as they are cleared of their occupants. The composition divisions designated for return, as far as known, is as follows: Thirty-first (Georgia, Alabama and Florida), 34th (Nebraska, lowa, South Dakota and Minnesota), 38th '(lndiana, Kentucky and West Virginia), 76th (New England), 78th (west New York, New York, New Jersey and Delaware). Cancellation of war contracts abroad has been left in the hands bf Assistant Secretary Edward R. Stettinius, now in France, and designated as the special representative of the war department. On this side .Major-GenejrgjGoethals will have charge of cancellation of all supply contracts and MajorGeneral Jei-vey of contracts having to do with construction for the army. Regarding the-shipment of Christ-

mas packages to tWb expeditionary forces General March said the steamer Manchuria sailed from Hoboken Friday with 16,000 sacks containing 565,000 packages. In addition to the *2,000,000 packages which the army will handle, authority has been given the Red Cross to send from 50,000 to 60,0.00 more for men' who do not receive the packages sent to them or who have no one at home to remember them. General March disclosed that thirteen , American tank battalions equipped with the French light type of tank and four training companies equipped with the British heavy type, are in France. These are among the units which can be spared at an early date. They include th'e 301st, 302 d, 303 d, 306th, 325th, 326th, 327th, 29th, 30th, 31st, 32d-, 344th and 345th battalions, and the 376th, 377th, 378th and 79th training battaliqpe. General March deferred answering all inquiries as to the reorganization of the 'regular army until the bill which the general staff is preparing, has been t pproved and laid before the congress. He said, however, that there were only 30,000 men in the army bound by the pre-war seven-year enlistment. These, he said, will be held to their enlistment contracts, while the 700,000 men who volunteered for the duration of the war will be released except where they re-enlist.