The Washington herald., 1916-01-29
BY L.. II. JOHNS.

The War College and mobile army
division of the General Staff have in
dorsed the Chamberlain bill with some
slight amendments. The bill" says
the report of the mobile division of
the General STAFF. approaches the
nearest of any bill that has been
formulated to furnish properly
balanced mobile army"
The bill referred to here as the
Chamberlain bill is the one which
Is now pending before the Senate Com
mittee on Military Affairs. 1t has
not been introduced by Senator Cham
berlain and will not be until the SEN
ate Committee is ready to report II
out, after the hearings that are now
in progress.
The Chamberlain bill follows close
ly the military policy report of the
General Stan dated September IL.
1915. In commenting upon the meas
ure the mobile army division Of the
General Staff states: Since the policy
report was published, certain sea
location or for other reasons, have
been considered obsolete so that now
263 companies are considered the cor
rect number instead of 2ss as given
in the policy report. so that the bill
provides for an excess of four COM
panies of coast artillery over the num-
Der required.
"The bill generally speaking pro-
vides a very close approximation to
the total number of organizations in
the various branches of the army to
that recommended in the policy re-
port Of the General STAFF.
"As can be seen by comparing the
organizations for the regular army
called for by the policy report with
those given in the proposed meas
ure. there is substantial agreement
except in the number of cavalry regi-
ments, and it is believed that the bill
should be amended so as to be in COM
plete accord with the policys report.
ITO obtain the necessary reserves by
utilizing the number of active organiza-
tions recommended in the policy report
for the regular army reserves requires
that all organizations be kept at full
strength and that the period of enlist
ment be eight years-two with the colors
and six in reserve. For this reason the
period Of service given in the bill-six
the period OF training with the colors-
three years-changed to two.
I'm making the calculation for the
number obtained for the regular army re-
serve. the strength of infantry COM
panies was taken as 150. The number
provided in the bill for the strength OF
infantry companies is liz enlisted. This
should be changed to $50 to correspond
with the recommendations of the Gen
eral Staff.
These are the principal changes
needed to bring the mea sure into entire
harmony with the principles of the pol
Icy report and the other changes recon-
mended are very minor in nature and in
these changes the mobile army division
Is in accord with the War College d.
vision"
with these changes the War College
division expresses the belief that the
Chamberlain bill should receive the
unqualified approval of the War Depart
ment as being the best preparedness
measure as far as it affects the regular
army and its reserve that has yet been
written"
The constitutionality of State consti-
tutions and laws deprivins officers and
enlisted men of the right OF suffrage
may be attacked in the Federal courts,
1t is evident that an adequate force of
reserves for the army and navy under
any system cannot be secured IL the
Missouri constitution and number of