The spectator., 1919-07-04

American plans for universal military training, but it certainly would affect the size of the standing army.
 The plan of the general staff for army reorganization which was sub- mtted at the last session involved the recruiting of regular army of lit- tie more than half q million men. This plan, although it received no attention at the last session, forms in part the basis of present discussion, and out of 1t eventually will be brought the new organization scheme, whatever it may be, scheme which if adopted may go by the board as soon as the League of Nations becomes E reality.
 Fight Over General Staff Plan.
 It would be untruthful to say that the majority of representatives and senators believes that even with peace-among-all-nati pact the strength of the regular army of the United States should be diminished close to the vanishing point. The Re-
 
 country standing army of diminished numbers. Whether or not they will sanction universal military training of course yet remains to be determined.
 It is useless to try to hide the fact that there is pretty row going on among the ranking officials of the reg ular army today. The general staff, many army officers say, is rather close corporation. The charge is that the statf's intention is. if it can secyro, congressional saEcttSnSIcr iis general plan; to ma-o- .he general staff the all- lh-all of army administration. The chiefs of army departments and bu- reaus as they exist today are antag- onistic, bitterly so, to many of the plans which the general staff is trying to put into effect with legislative sane ton. Congress must determine the right in the matter.
 Army officers who are opposed to the staff plan say that if 1t is put into effect 1t will mean the complete sub ordination of the views of men who know their business to the views of men who only think they know their business. It would be tedious and thankless job to go into the details of the things which the general staff seems to want to accomplish. Putting 1t broadly. the staff critics say that it wants to run the army: that it wants to be chief of artillery. chief of in- fantry. chief of engineers, chief of ordnance and chief of everything else. unless It be the medical corps.
 Officers May Criticize Freely.
 Within the next few weeks. if the purveyors of the news consider the matter of importance enough. the country will learn that army officers of high rank are not afraid to speak their opinions when the shield of con- gress is thrown about them. An army officer giving his views before a com- mittce of congress is protected in his right to criticize the doingS of his sh- perlors. although, of course. he is ex. pected to keep away from personalities that are personalities only.
 Discipline and feeling of loyalty to the service have kept scores of ranking officers of the army quiet dur ing the past few months. An immense amount of bitterness of feeling has been engcndered by the reorganza- ton plans of the general stan. The staff will defend itself and officers of other bureaus will attack.
 Women's Legion of Great War. Washington is taking the initiative in organizing the wives, mothers and daughters of men who fought in the great war. An association has been completed in the District of Columbia. It is to be known as the American Women's Legion of the Great War.
 This Is local organization. but the belief here Is that eventually the scope of the work will be nation wide. In fact. some of the friends of the move ment believe the women of the coun. try who have close relatives In the war should undertake to form an or ganization somewhat like that of the American Legion recently formed in St. Louis. and which has for its ob- ject the banding together in fellow ship of the soldiers who fought against Germany.
 It Is true that the American Legion will admit to membership women who did war work of certain kind. It does not contemplate. however. the ad- mission to membership of women sim ply because they were either the wives. mothers, daughters or sisters of active combntantS
 The Washington organization offers membership to the female next of kin" to veterans of the war. Tlie wives. mothers and daughters of en- listed men are just as welcome as are the women relatives of officers. The intention Is to make the thing thor oughly dcmOcrntic. Representative women have the organization In charge. and for time will conduct It's