The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-08-09
GENERAL WOOD FAVORS CLOS
ER RELATIONS WITH STATE
GUARDS.
WOULD EXTEND RED CROSS
The New Chief Of Staff Also Would
Make Officers Annual Exercise
Tests Less lrksome by Eliminating
Several Roosevelt Provisions.

New York, Aug. S.-A perfec'
understanding and harmonious
working arrangement between the
regular army and the national guarl
and an extension and improvement
of the Red Cross are vital neces-
sites in time of peace, is the opn-
ion of Major General Leonard Wood.
With these acknowledged facts, the
combination would be a factor thai
wouli make America inyincible in
time of war.
Genera Wood, now chief of staff
of the United States army, with
the directness that cnaracterizes al
his views, declared that every effo.
should be made TO bring the reg
ular army and the national guard
more and more into contact through
camps of instruction and maneuvers.
In addition General Wood pointed
out that the work of the Red Cross
should and probably would be eX-
tenied so that it will be of the
greatest value to the country in
case of war.
Camps of instruction and maneu-
vers," General Wood said, are most
important for the senior officers of
militia in order that they may be-
come familiar with the problem
OF supply and transportation of
troops under conditions closely APP.
proXimating actual service.
1T would, l should therefore say
be the duty of the paid officers OF
the army to bring about more in,
innate relation with their brother
officers of the militia. This, perhaps
is one of the most important things
/ to be done by the army in the mex
few years.
Il should also say that nteres
in the Red Cross organization is a
move in the right direction ant
should be increased. This interest vii
doubtless be carried to point
where the Red Cross will be of the
greatest value to us in war or II
case of any great disaster.
The medical department of the
army is now on a par with the besj
of such departments in European ar
mics. There is every reason to feeI
satisfied with the training of these
officers. But the Red Cross organi
zation will be the organization to
/ develop"
Many persons, it seems, are under
/ the impression that General Woo
is the commanding general of the
army because he is the chief of
staff. and as a consequence there
will fan upon him the credit 70.
the good work that may be done
in the army or the failures that
may be made General Wood is not
the commanding general There is
no commanding general of the army
and has not been since February
II, 1908, the date of the enactment
of the law which created the gen
eral STAFF corps and reposed the
command of the army in the prcsi-
dent
But the presidents command is
exercised through the secretary of
war and the chief of staff. so that
Wood will have much to say as TO
army affairs of Importance. Every
question that high army officers do
not know how to settle themselves
they manage to get referred to the
office of the chief of stan.
So thar General Wood must have
a knowledge of almost everything
that concerns the United States
army if he is TO be a success in
his new position.
General Wood is very much inter.
ested IN the proposed plan for new
exercise rules. An order providing
for these new rules will be issued
from the war department in the
near future, whether by General u
liver, Acting Secretary of War. in
the absence of Mr.. Dickinson in the
Philippines. and without submission
TO him. is not known.