The Washington herald., 1916-05-15
BY L. b. JOHNS.

Although the army experts are not
ready to give their opinion upon the re-
organization bill as agreed to in the con-
ference, the preliminary statement gwen
out by the cOnferees indicates that Con-
gress has at last adopted military pol
icy which amounts to real preparedness
as far as the regular army is concerned.
This does not refer so much to the in
crease in the regular army as 1t does TO
the organization that Is provided for in
the bill
The enlisted strength of the army de-
pends largely upon the annual appropria-
ton. The bill now pending in the con-
ference committee does not appropriate
any money for an increase in the army
1t simply authorizes the President to raise
the army to the strength specified in the
bill. but Congress holds the purse strings
and the President can not add single
man to the regular army unless the funds
are appropriated.
Even under the terms OF the bill it
will be five years before the army is rails
cd to its authorized strength. This fea-
ture is not highly objectionable to the
General Stan although under present con-
ditions the military authorities are OF the
opinion that it should be made in three in
Crements. Less than three increments
would lower the standard Of efficiency Of
the regular army and would be war
measure.
The bill as agreed to gives the army
what the General STAFF terms a proper
organization. 1t creates divisions which
are the fighting units OF a modern army.
If the regular army was put in the field
against one of the great powers, the first
step to be taken would be to organize
II into divisions. At present the country
does not possess the necessary force to
organize complete divisions. It is true
that the strength authorized by the bill
does not provide for sufficient number
Of men for divisions at war strength but
II gives the army the necessary founda-
tiOn upon which an efficient force can
be built. The War College in discussing
this feature of army legislation says:
The smallest independant unit in
which all of the various arms are found
represented in modern armies is one OF
approximately 10000 men, called the in
fantry division in our field service regula-
tion. For the proper and efficient strateg-
cal, tactical and administrative hand
ling of divisions and larger units, includ-
ing their supply, certain general officers,
and a technical and administrative stan,
adjutant, inspector, Judge advocate,
Quartermaster, and ordnance officers arc
added to assist the commanding general.
All these various staff officers are neces-
sary cogs in the wheel.
Just as an operating division Of a
railroad system requires directing officials
to give train orders, a switching per-
sonnel, signal operators, and teleg-
raphers. in order to keep the several
trains running safely and without con-
fusion for the purpose Of moving the
traffic the object for which railroads are
maintained, so also in modern armies the
function of all stan officers and auxiliary
arms is to contribute to the main object
of the army-to assist the infantry in
defeating the enemy.
With an adequate organization for the
regular army the military question re-
naming for the country and Congress
to solve is the securing of a force of
trained citizen soldiers to be called into
service in the event of war. The regular
army according to the views of the Gen
eral Staff should be kept at a high state
of efficiency so that II could be used
for an emergency such as exists in MeXi-
CO. For small wars or expeditions like
that in Mexico the citizen soldiers should
not be called into service. The calling
out of the entire National Guard for
service in Mexico will interfere seriously
with the business of the country. Many
of the National Guardsmen cannot af-
ford to spend a year or so in Mexico. II
will be hardship TO them which they
should not be called upon to bear.
At the end of five years under the
terms of the bill now pending IN Con-
gress the regular army could take care
of the Mexican situation If ii We're raised
to war strength. Two hundred and fifty
thousand efficient troops could handle the