Report to General Crowder for War Council Meeting - February 19, 1918
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Genl Crowder Attached is a revised copy of the report to be considered at tomorrow
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Washington, D.C., February 19, 1918. The War Council views with grave concern the fact that our allies have been led to expect a greater degree of assistance during 1918 from our military forces than can be furnished. Two of the most vital needs of the forthcoming campaign are men and aeroplanes. The United States is being relied upon to provide both. From the evidence at hand it is clear that we shall not be able to provide either in a quantity sufficient to play an important part in the operations along the Western Front this year, unless the most drastic steps are taken. We may, it is believed, do much more than now seems possible by taking action as hereinafter recommended. The situation is from our point of view serious. Our allies have been led to believe that we shall be able to do things that we have later found ourselves unable to do. The time has now come to review the state of our account with them respecting both men and aeroplanes in the light of what we have accomplished, and to formulate our program for the future with regard to our capacities. Military Forces. For the purpose of this statement it is assumed that the first concrete expression of the American Expeditionary Project is contained in a memorandum dated September 10, 1917, sent by the Chief of Staff to the Adjutant General of the Army and reading in part as follows:
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[page 2] On December 4, 1917, General Bliss cabled from London that the minimum effort expected from the United States was the sending as rapidly as possible to France of 4 complete corps of 6 divisions each, or 24 divisions in all, the last divisions to arrive not later than the end of June, 1918. The need for such a large force of American soldiers was emphasized again by General Bliss upon his return to this country in a confidential memorandum for the Secretary of War. On February 2, 1918, General Bliss cabled from Versailles that the Supreme War Council had adopted a resolution statting as an absolutely necessary condition for the safety of the Western Front during the year 1918 that American troops must arrive at the rate of not less than 2 complete divisions per month. He further stated that the British had agreed to transport the personnel of six complete divisions by June and that this rate of movement if commenced at once would mean having 21 divisions in France by about July. He added that clothing and quartermaster supplies should be provided in time for each division regardless of cost. On February 9, 1918, in a memorandum to the Chief of Staff, the Director of Operations stated:
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[page 3] that there were then in France or en route thereto, 234,275 men and 28,557 animals, and that the maintenance of this force alone required cargo vessels of 310,690 dead weight tons
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[page 4] pleted aeroplanes as distinct from optimistic expectations. The present gravity of the situation can scarcely be exaggerated. On December 30, 1917, the Signal Corps submitted an estimate of its tonnage requirements for shipments overseas of completed aeroplanes. This estimate was based on the
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[page 5] The Council has been forced most reluctantly to the conclusion that the Department ahs no accurate knowledge concerning the character or the extent of the military forces which can be placed at the disposal of General Pershing in time to render effective service during 1918. The War Council finds that there is an absence of accurate information concerning: (1) The past and future performance of the several divisions of the War Department; (2) The limitations imposed by port, railroad and other facilities abroad; (3) The military program of the United States. The fact that no agency is authoritatively charged with the task of formulating and keeping up-to-date a practicable military program in the light of the many limiting factors, accounts clearly for the conditions that have arisen and which have been indicated above. The Council believes that these conditions will go from bad to worse unless remedial measures are taken at once. The recent reorganization of the General Staff places at hand ready for use an effective means for providing at once the co-ordination and the guiding hand that has been lacking. The War Council therefore recommends as follows: Recommendations. That the Secretary of War direct the Director of Storage and Traffic (1) To conduct a searching inquiry at once for the purpose of determining the actual number of completely equipped troops that can be placed in France month by month during the year 1918 and can be adequately maintained after their arrival subject to the actual conditions of production, overseas transportation (taking into account only those ships which are certain to be available), and port and railroad conditions in France. (2) To ascertain the extent to which additional troops can be placed in the theatre of operations if their equipment and maintenance is provided by our allies. (3) To present a report based upon the result of this investigation setting forth in detail the manner in which the effective control over military operations, supply and transportation can be established and maintained within the War Department, so that all of its activities shall hereafter be predicated upon a definite and practicable program
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[page 6] and that responsibility for non-performance can be specifically placed.-- And that for the purpose of this investigation the Director of Storage and Traffic be authorized to request, in the name of the Secretary of War, all information bearing upon this subject in the possession of any bureau or division of the War Department, the Shipping Board, the Ship Control Committee, the War Industries Board, the War Trade Board, the Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Forces, and any other agencies involved.
Details
| Title | Report to General Crowder for War Council Meeting - February 19, 1918 |
| Creator | Unknown |
| Source | Unknown. Report to General Crowder for War Council Meeting. 19 February 1918. Crowder, Enoch H. (1859-1932), Papers, 1884-1942. C1046. The State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia, MO. |
| Description | Copy of the report considered in a meeting of the War Council. The report included statistics of the supplies the United States was providing versus the French and British forces. This document is part of a collection compiled by Enoch Herbert Crowder, the Edinburg, Grundy County, Missouri native who served as Judge Advocate General. Crowder devised the Selective Service Act in 1917 which drafted America's forces during World War I. |
| Subject LCSH | Crowder, E. H. (Enoch Herbert), 1859-1932; United States. War Department; Baker, Newton, 1871-1937; War College Division (U.S.); United States. Army. A.E.F., 1917-1920; World War, 1914-1918--Equipment and supplies; Airplanes; Pershing, John J. (John Josep |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I |
| Site Accession Number | C1046 |
| Contributing Institution | The State Historical Society of Missouri |
| Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the State Historical Society of Missouri: 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, Missouri, 65201-7298. (573) 882-7083. |
| Rights | The text and images contained in this collection are intended for research and educational use only. Duplication of any of these images for commercial use without express written consent is expressly prohibited. |
| Date Original | February 19, 1918 |
| Language | English |