PEAK OF TRAINING

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 307, 22 September 1943, Page 7

PEAK OF TRAINING

U.S. Armed Forces Poised To Strike (British Official Wireless anil Press Assn.) RUGBY, September 20. For the fit-st time in the history of the United States they were capable of putting into the foreign battle lines troops fully trained at home, sai'd the United States Chief of Staff, General Alurshall. Strategy was now based on plans to increase the praseut army of 7,300,000 men to 7,700,000 'by the end of the year. Commenting on future plans, General Alurshall said: "We have our basic establishment going. Our shipping can now be devoted to employment of our ground forces.” Fully-trained troops were not available, General Alurshall explained, when North Africa was invaded and advanced bases were required in Africa to complete adequate preparations. He disclosed that the army was sending 50,000 troops, such as engineers, mechanics, and signal corps men and GOO bomber crews to England this month “not to expand our forces therq but to continue our present force.” He explained: “There has been a constant drain, and we are behind in bomber crew operations. The same thing is true in the Alediterranean. “We are moving in men to operate the port of Salerno, aud hope, in a short time, that we shall be sending men to operate the port of Naples.” Approximately 75,000 men were needed a month merely to hold the army's present strength. “Enemy Off Balance.”

General Alurshall warned Congress that postponement of the fathers’ draft would force a reduction iu combat divisions, cause casualties to mouut unnecessarily, and “prolong the whole struggle.” He emphasized the necessity of hitting the enemy hard now “while they are off their balance.” “It is our urgent desire to suffer no more depletions,” he said. “It would be unwise and unfortunate to do so. AA’e are on the offensive and it would be unfortunate to do anything to dim empower. “If Congress cuts the army now, or interrupts tlie steady How of men, we will suffer much greater loss than we anticipate from the Germans and the Japanese,” tlie general said. Pointing out. that the American armed forces.bad reached the peak of their training and were poised for aggressive developments throughout the world, lie said he was puzzled by the Congressional, reaction at this time and. added: “If Congress interrupts lhe operation of selective service all we can do is reduce our programme and change our strategy.” General Alarshall explained that the

army and navy planned to activate about 440 new battalions soon; also that fouldivisions at present had only 1500 men each and needed an additional '14,000 men each.