McAbee will represent armed forces

Demonstration in Muncie on National Defense Day

Is Expected by Governor as Part of State Program

Although Plans for Local Observance on Septem­ber 12 Have Not Been Arranged, Co-Operation With the U. S. Govern­ment Is Assured — Mun­cie Resident Member of State Committee.

COLONEL Philip W. McAbee, prominent Muncie resident, has been honored by Gov­ernor Branch by his appointment to the state Defense Day commit­tee, which will be in charge of the Indiana program on Septem­ber 12.

While plans for the local ob­servance have not yet been ar­ranged, general opinion appears to be that there should be some such demonstration on this occa­sion as that which took place at the close of the war, when the boys were welcomed home — a parade designed to exhibit the war time resources of Indiana. In effect, such a display would do exactly what the War Depart­ment wishes — provide a definite means of ascertaining whether post-war organization of war time assets has attained a degree as high as that at which it stood at the end of sixteen months of in­tensive preparation under the urge of actual war.

Need for Act Seen.

The need for the national defense act, which is to be tested on De­fense Day, is seen in the fact that in 1917 the United States had noth­ing but a potential reservoir of man power and the spirit of a free­dom loving people from which to draw its defense power. The stand­ing army numbered only 100,000; the National Guard, numerically, was but little stronger and there were no organized reserves to ex­pand or strengthen the fighting forces. New officers had to be trained at the disadvantage of the urge and hurry of the emergency. Divisions had to be organized and cantonments had to be built.

It was only with the herculean efforts, combined with the spirit of the millions of Americans, and the expenditures of money that the United States was able to put 1,000,000 fighting men in France be­fore the armistice was signed.

The defense test is not to say the national defense act is 100 per cent perfect. The development of the skeleton, provided by this act, is only beginning. The items on the credit side of the ledger, after the inventory, will merely seed.

Will Be Test of Plan.

The test will be just as much a test of the plan as a test of the men. The plan is only four years old. The test is to show how its success depends on each individual community. Preparedness today is far beyond the stage of 1917 and it is expected that the test mobili­zation will point the way to a further advance.

Members of the committee appointed by Governor Branch to ar­range the program for Indiana's celebration of Defense day, Sept. 12, are: (1) Col. Philip W. McAbee, Muncie; (2) Brig. Gen. Leigh R. Gignilliat, Culver; (3) Maj. John P. Goodwin, Brookville; (4) Maj. Maurice Tennant. Indianapolis; (5) Judge Robert C. Baltzell, Princeton; (6) Lieut. Col. Francis W. Glover, Indianapolis; (7) Lieut. Col. Bowman Elder, Indianapolis. All hold commissions in the service corps, with the exception of Lieut. Col. Glover, who is a regular army officer.

The national defense act provides that the army shall be divided into three parts — the regular army, the national guard and the organized reserves. This act called for the organization of the peace time army into divisions, distributed through­out the country. In conformity to the population of military age, and in time of peace to be administered through corps areas. This is to in­sure a decentralized administration to enable a complete and immediate mobilization, should the nation be called to war.

Through Five Stages.

The reorganization has passed through five stages, and the task has required much time and thought. The first stage was the formation of a basic plan for procedure; the second, the allocation of the units; the third, the or­ganization of the units; the fourth, the project of training, and the fifth, the preparation for mobiliza­tion.

This task is nearing completion, and while the end is hardly in sight, army men say it is not far distant. Regular troops have been shifted to facilitate the carrying out of the plan, corps areas have been laid out and a start made toward the organization of the individual units that make up the divisions.

Selected groups of regular of­ficers and noncommissioned offic­ers have been at work for four years laying the foundation for the organized reserves. A compre­hensive scheme is partially in ef­fect for a "national position of readiness" and a "covering force," should a great emergency arise. Mobilization plans for all units have been prepared and command­ing officers are directing the train­ing to this end.

It was necessary to subdivide the units into the corps areas, to consist of approximately the same military population.

From this study came the nine divisions of the regular army, eighteen divisions of the national guard and twenty-seven divisions of the organized reserves — a sub­division of the country into nine corps areas, each with one division of the regular army, two divisions of the national guard and three di­visions of organized reserves.

Regulars Moved.

To fit the existing units into the new army, regulars were moved to such posts as would permit an even distribution and at the same time, utilise the existing barracks and other shelter. To obtain the proper allocation of the national guard units, attention had to be paid to the needs of the state as well as the federal government. Hence boards were organized to consider the interests of both. The recommendations brought about change in some of the units but the majority kept the identity under which they fought in the A. E. F.

With the organized reserves it was a case of developing units — skeleton organizations of officers, non-commissioned officers and enlisted specialists — to take charge of the training of citizens who would enlist in time of war. These reserve units were allocated to those states from which came the wartime divisions of the same name. Infantry units were dis­tributed throughout the entire corps area and in every part of the state, so there would be a local in­fantry unit to which a citizen could be assigned quickly and easily. The field artillery units were apportioned to those parts of the area where, by training or ex­perience, the men would be some­what accustomed to horse or mo­tor-drawn vehicles. The raisings of such units as hospital and Ambul­ance companies, signal corps and engineer companies were left to towns and cities that stand out as medical, manufacturing, railway and construction centers.

Army Was Easy.

The actual organization of the units was easy enough with the regular army, where all that was necessary was to attach the existing unit to their higher commands and the "inactive units to the "active." But, with the National Guard, a number of new units were necessary to round out the divisional organizations and some of the units, the tank and signal companies, could be of little use in performing the state police work, the guard so often is called upon to perform. Almost a com­plete remodeling program was in­stituted. This is nearing completion.

Almost an insurmountable wall presented itself in the task of giv­ing the organized reserves more than paper strength. The officers’ reserve corps was the only start and the members of it had only been on inactive duty since de­mobilization, or had received their commission since the armistice, through the R. O. T. C.

These officers, with groups of regular and non-commissioned of­ficers, started to organize the framework of the reserve divisions of the nine corps areas during the summer of 1921. Veterans of the World War, in many instances, were assigned to their old organiza­tions, or were given other assignments for which they were par­ticularly fitted.

Officers Assigned.

Commanding officers of regi­ments, batallions and companies have been assigned, as has other commissioned personnel needed in time of war. At present the assign­ment of officers to the reserve or­ganization numbers approximately 84,500, or 83 per cent of the re­quired strength and 3 per cent of the enlisted strength.

The regular army was forced to combine its routine with the training of the reserves. It was without precedent. Never before had the United States attempted the train­ing of a skeleton force such as the organized reserves.

There are two sources from which these officers are drawn, the R. O. T. C., in the nation's educa­tional institutions and the Citizens' military training camps. The men who enter the citizens' military training camps are not bound in any until after they have completed the third term of the four-term course.

The officers of the Organized Regulars are called for a period of service each year. At camp and service school, they are taught the latest methods of military instruc­tion and refresh their knowledge of military science. The corps area headquarters also conducts cor­respondence courses for the instruction of the Organized Reserve officers.

Mobilization Preparation.

The next step was the prepara­tion for mobilization. The details are worked out in the corps areas. The department specifies the of the force to be raised, the rate of summoning men the order and sequence of the steps to be taken and the military means of provid­ing for recruits, replacements, shelter, supply, training and troop movements. The plan contemplates the expansion of the existing Re­gular and National Guard units and the rounding out of the skeleton­ized reserve force through the or­ganization of decentralized authority. It expects the co-operation of the lower headquarters and the community, both in the mobilization and the conduct of the experi­mental tests.

The unit mobilization plans are the most detailed. A regular offic­er may find he is in command of a regiment at reduced strength, or he may have an "inactive" com­pany, which must he recruited up to full strength before the training program can be started. A National Guard Officer may have only enough men to insure federal recognition. A reserve officer may have only a part of the organiza­tion he should have. But all must be ready to take advantage of the local facilities for the assembly, housing clothing, feeding, hos­pitalization, training and transpor­tation of his men.

Defense Day Is Goal.

The September mobilization is the goal toward which the War Department has directed its efforts since 1920. The idea of the entire plan is one of local organization. The system is based on a chain of military responsibility from the War Department in Washington to the commander of a company in Indiana.

Taking the 84th division for an example — if the mobilization Sep­tember 12 should be completed; passing up the first battalion of the 334th infantry, because all four companies are headquartered in In­dianapolis, and using the second battalion.

A citizen enrolling in the organ­ized reserves lives near Shelbyville. He is assigned to Company F, which has headquarters in Shelbyville. He is serving with his friends and as­sociates. He does not feel the pang of being thrown among strangers. He is "at home" and better able to adapt himself to the new routine. The company is officered by his fel­low townsmen. He knows they have been trained and he pins his faith in them.

Company F is trained in Shelbyville, where the company commander has provided barracks, food and hos­pitalization. It remains there until the training has reached company perfection.

Company F then proceeds to Connersvllle, the headquarters of the 2d battalion, where it meets the head­quarters company made up of Connersville men; Company E of New­castle. Company G of Rushville and Company H of Franklin, all neigh­boring cities, and all companies com­posed of men with whom the Com­pany F recruit is likely acquainted.

Trained at Headquarters.

Here the 2d battalion is trained, where, as in Shelbyville, the com­manding officer has arranged for the care of the men, their training and then their transportation to Indianapolis, the regimental headquarters of the 334th infantry. Here the 2d battalion, from Connersville, meets the 1st battalion, Indianapolis boys, and the 3rd battalion, with head­quarters company from Brookville, Company I from North Vernon, Company K from Lawrenceburg, Company L from Madison and Com­pany M, also from Indianapolis, as is the service company and the howitzer company.

The 334th waits the coming of the 333d from its headquarters at Vin­cennes, the 335th from its headquar­ters at Muncie and the 336th from its headquarters at Culver, forming the 167th infantry brigade, the headquarters of which are in Indi­anapolis.

In a like manner, the the batter­ies of the 159th field artillery scat­tered over the state, which, with its ammunition trains and service com­panies, the 84th air squadron, the 309th medical corps, with companies scattered over the state, including hospital, sanitary, ambulance and transport battalions, motor repair sections and wagon companies; 94th signal corps; 84th military police, and 84th tank company, constitute the 84th division, manned complete­ly by Indianians.

Proceed to Camp Knox.

Upon the mobilization of the 84th division in Indianapolis, or the place designated by the commanding of­ficer, the entire division would pro­ceed to Camp Knox, Ky., the head­quarters of the 5th corps area, of which Indiana is a part. There the men from Indiana would meet men from Ohio, who have formed the 83d; men from West Virginia and Ken­tucky, who have formed the 100th, and other men from Kentucky in its part of the 64th cavalry. At the same time many non-division units which are scattered over the entire corps area, would go to Fort Thomas, Kentucky.

The goal of the War Department is to effect a mobilization of the fighting strength of each corps area. This can not be done this year, however, and the mobilization will be decentralized, each commun­ity retaining its unit within its boundaries.