Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-09-14
Army and Navy News

Gen. James w. McAndrew, who was
cn1ef of stan for Gen. Pershing and
also director of the division of mill
tary training in the general staff of
the A. L. r. His assistant is Brig.
Gen. Harry A. Smith
The object of this college is to give
the Army something that it has not
before had-a body and place
Tor the study of the higher practical
arts of war. Its courses will include
army organization and military policy
OF the United States in comparison
with the policies of other nations; but
Its especial object will be the study
ana application of general stan or
ganization.
The great need of the Army has
been an effective system of manage
ment. The bureau system was tried,
and in time of war found wanting.
There is no thought of criticising any
bureaus. but it is fact that owever
capable may have been the individual
management of them, the general
stan. as constituted at the time hos
tilltles broke out which was the
time OF its test-was unable to handle
the situation and to bring about CO.
operation of the bureaus. The result
was an utter failure of military effort
until the reorganization in the War
Department placed Cen March at the
mead of the general staff, with au-
thority or influence sufficiently strong
TO enforce harmony of action.
The general staff organization in
any Wei organized army rests upon
certain fundamental principles. In
obedience to these basic laws, the
star inevitably divides itself into a
number of sections which different
armies call by different names. but
which cover substantially the same
duties and responsibilities. What
ever titles officers may give to these
sections. a mod ern staff will consist
OF an operations division, which di-
reefs all military preparation and
movement: supply division, which
directs and supervises the services
that provide the army with every
thlng that it uses; intelligence, and
the planning division, for the study
or general strategic problems affect
ing the army as a whole and the ma
ton in its relation to other nations
Inc French had such a STAFF, and
after Marshal Joffre had ridded it of
the dead timber it worked ad-
m1rably. In the course of three years
after the Germans had opened war
against the world the British had
created staff on nearly these lines,
ana Marshal Haig, who was placed
at the head of the new organization,
got 1t into running order. Gen. Per-
shlng in France built up a general
staff along these lines for the A. E.
F.. and Gen. March attempted the
same thing on this side of the At
lantic- 1t is known that the organi-
zation which he made between Febru-
airy anu November was not one to
his entire satisfaction; but it was
based on these sound basic principles,
and, although it needed constant
overhauling, it worked. That is the
system that saved the army from
chaos, and no other yet devised will
operate successfully in times of war.
AS the function of an army is to
be successful in war, the logic of the
situation is to prepare in peace time
a general staff on sound military
principles to operate the army when
the strain of war comes to put it to
the test. The object of the General
Staff College is to create and train
such q general staff.
X X X
The advocates of military training,