Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-11-14
PEACE treaty
WOULD RELEASE
U. S. SOLDIERS
New Legislation Necessary to
-Reorganize Army and
Provide Troops Re-
qdired in Europe.

VosHiilS toil, WV w. iofS Aoi
the reorganization OF the War de-
parfment and the army now are in
formulation by the general staff and
soon will be before Secretary Baker.
Orders for the actual breaking up
of the army cannot be promulgated
until these plans are. completed as
the rehabilitation problem is de-
pendent upon the adoption OF a re-
organization policy. -
The secretary has indicated new
legislation will be necessary to carry
out the reorganization and is ex-
pected ITO lay a definite program
before Congress at the earliest pos
sible moment.
Existing law authorizes the main
tenance of a regular army OF ap-
proximately $4,000 men. While it
is not possible to forecast the num-
Der of American troops that must
be employed in Europe after the
peace treaties have been signed, mil.
itary men believe the authorized
regular establishment cannot pro-
vide an adequate force for all pur-
poses at home and abroad.
In Service for War Only.
OF the 100000 men now under
arms, probably not more than lOO,-
900 are under obligation to serve
beyond the restoration of peace.
There were 1000 officers and about
10000 men in the regular army
when war was declared Expira-
ton of enlistments, however, prob
ably has served to reduce this con-
siderably and all wartime enlist.
ments are for the war period only.
Thousands of the officers now in
service are on temporary commits
sions in the regular establishment.
The commissions were issued for a
definite period of years and the man
might be held, although the general
attitude of the department would
not indicate any intention of hold.
ing such officers against their will
when the war emergency has pass
ed.
The number of men necessary to
be maintained ip Europe probably
will be worked out by General
Pershing's staff and since similar
calculations for the United States
and its possessions are being made
here it is expected that the, size OF
the army for which it will be nee
essary to provide soon will be ar
rived at.
Universal Training Favored.
The general staff's recommended
tons as to the way the army is to
be formed are expected to embody
the principal of universal training.
A bill prepared by the staff just
before the United States entered the
war outlined the general scheme
which is likely to be again advo-
Gated, modified in the light of war
experience and the results of the
operation of the selective draft sys-
tenn.
q At this time it was planned to
continue the garrisons for the Phil
ippines, Hawaii and Panama on a
voluntary basis by selecting men
who elected army life after they had
passed through their periods OF
training. Outside of these over.
seas forces, however, the staff pro.
posed to remodel the standing army
into strictly training force, com,
posed of officers and non-commis.
stoned officers who should be de.
veloped into exports in getting raw
material quickly into shape and
through whose hands year after
year, should pass the classes called
to the colors for training.
Generalization Part of Program.
Both the commissioned and non
commissioned ranks of this train
ing, it was planned, should be re.
cruited from men who displayed
ability during their training. There
is reason to expect that some SINH
lar project will again be brought
forward, although neither President
Wilson nor Secretary Baker is now
committed to UNIVERSAL training as
national policy. In his last annual
report Mr.. Baker said it was not a
question which should be decided
while the country was at war.
Rehabilitation of the existing OF.
fcers' corps, both line and staff,
forms a separate element of the
present problems of the War de-
partment. 1t is certain that efforts
will be.made to keep men who have
shown themselves qualified in such
relationship with the government
that their services can be quisckly
resecured at need. Pending the
completion of plans recruiting is
being discouraged.
Plans for returning officers to
their civilian status are expected to
provide for an army reserve officers
corps similar to that used in build
ing up the present army.
Similarly it is regarded as prob
able that steps toward the organ
zation of an ample enlisted reserve
viii be taken. The form of the plan,
however, whether by voluntary obli-
cations or by order, will depend
UPON the military policy to be
adopted.