PERSHING'S ARMY.

Bruce Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 52, 11 July 1918, Page 6

PERSHING'S ARMY.

A REAL FORCE NOW.

TRA'NSFO'B'MATIION -IN THREE MONTHS.

In view of recent events, and speculations as to how far 'America is ready to aid in :the war, the following article, sent to the New York World' from American Field Headquarters 'by Mr Lincoln Eyre, ■the World's .Staff Correspondent, has special interest.

'Last fall 'the American expeditionary forces in France consisted of uncoordinated bodies of armed men, no more fitted to face the Kaiser's colossus than the Red Guard to Petro•grad would be. To-day those ill-dis-ciplined groups of men have become an army. Before long 'that army, as yet comparatively small in numbers, but welded into a cohesive and efficient whole by the formidable war machine which American energy and' ingenuity lave produced, will 'be ready to stand side by side with the British and French on the western battle line. This does not mean that General Pershing's divisions arc going- to hurl the Germans hack across the Rhine before the 'Fourth of July, nor even that the Central Powers will be pounded to roulp by swarms of bomb-dropping Liberty airplanes before the leaves turn 'brown. It merely 'means that the day is at hand when the soldiers of Uncle Sam will have begun to tackle the toughest job the American nation has known —making the world safe for •democracy with American guns.

DECISIVE HOUR THOUGHT NEAR

The spring campaign of terror of which Hindenburg 'has warned the Allies is only a few weeks away. With 1,600,000 'men added to Germany's effectives on the French front, and great increases in her artillery strength on one ivand, and. the German peoples ever keener craving for peace on the other, the impending 'battles may well decide the fate of civilisation.

What the American Army can do to prevent a German victory will 'be done. It will be more, too, than most thoughtful observers on this side of the Atlantic would have deemed possible at this time, although far less, of course, than some men at home have been. predicting.

These observations are based on a fairly 'comprehensive survey of the situation I have been -making since my return to the American training base ■after an absence of three months. A little 'more than six months 'have elapsed since the first of the olive drab detachments reached' their cantonments. It was weeks after that before work was Ibegun on the tremendous structure ■designed to provide arms, supplies, munitions, anil transportation' from the maritime base to the most advanced trench. YANKEE SHIPS IN" FRANCE.

(Eight across (Prance there runs a strip of the United; States, planned and laid! 'down: by American brains and 'hands with the systematic co-operation of our French 'hosts. At the ports, docks, warehouses and' terminals have

become realities instead of mere 'blueprints. Ne : vv strategic railroads exist already, and are ibeing extended with extraordinary skillj American locomotives and other rolling stock are travelling on them, manned' 'by American crews.

In the cities and 'towns given us as bases by the French huge depots have sprung up, improved water systems, including great reservoirs, have come into being, cold storage plants and ice factories, the like of which France has never : before ibe'held, are in operation. Three .months ago we were still forced' to call on France for practically all labour required for these huge enterprises. Nowadays, mechanics, carpenters, masons, iron workers and railroad men, as well as battalions of unskilled labourers brought from home have supplanted the French civilian workers and

German, prisoners 'to a considerable ex' tent.

With the establishment of real organisation on 'the line of communications the business of preparing the combatant units for active service has been mightily facilitated. 'Close to five months was required to round the first contingent into shape, and even now its training is not quite finished. The divisions coming later have been progressing far more swiftly. Every day the training programme is speeded! up, and by 'the 'time hot weather comes it may be cut 'down to half the period necessary to train the first arrivals.

ALL UP TO FU'L'L STRENGTH. '.Every regiment 'belonging to the divisions now in the training area is up to full strength, including the divisional artillery signal corps, engineers 'and supply trains. 'Replacement troops, largely drawn from the 'National Army, are on hand' in 'sufficient numbers to fill all gaps caused by 'impending casualties. The conscripts 'have already merited the praise of their superiors. A good many of 'them may see the trenches through being drafted' in the veteran units ;before the National Guardsmen who proceeded them to France. ■Corps schools and other centres of special instruction which were in the experimental stage when I last visited them are now in full swing and issuing diplomas to the graduating classes at weekly intervals.

American officers knew about as 'much about tanks as a cowboy does about .a schooner when the American force first arrived. To-day there are dozens of tank experts, 'and a tank school is 'turning - out more 'of them l by the score. Evan an ore important is the advance made in the aviation branc'h. Groups of 'division' flyers 'are in existence equipped) with French Observation' planes and with a full complement of trained) aerial observers. The organisation 'of corps and army squadrons is progressing! rapidly, the Lafayette Eseadrille being ithe nucleus <of the airfighting -units' 'as differentiated from' the reconnaissance and' 'bombing 'groups. 'A large flat field in> the interior of [France, which was unimproved .pasture land when I first visited it 'last September 'has realised the future I then predicted for it. While American anachines are as yet wholly lacking at this centre of our flying service, American

aviators abound. They- are getting their instruction on French aircraft ! as fast as weather conditions permit. 'The severe winter has proved somewhat of a setback, but. l)y the time General Pershing's land forces are ready to fight his air forces will ibe there to help •them.