The sun., 1919-09-23
Disagrees With General Staff's
Advocacy Of 500, 1000 Peace
Time Force.
FOR 6 MONTHS TRAINING
A. e. f. Chief Of Staff Urges
Strong Defence of Canal and
Hawaiian Islands.
Specia, Despatch to The Sun.

Ten. James w. McAn0reW, CnleI OIL otdu
OF the American Expeditionary Forces,
declared before the House Military Com
mittee to-day. In response to questions
by committee members he stated that
500. coo men, as asked by the General
Stan Of the War Department, was larger
than necessary.
with the army of $780, 900 men Major
Gen. McAndrews would have six months
universal military training for all boys
OF 10 years instead of three months, as
suggested in the General Staff bill.
He recommended that the distribution
of Americas peace time army be made
thus: One complete division In the Pan
ANA Canal Zone; one division in Ha-
wall; a division and such additional
troops as may be necessary from time
to time along the Mexican border small
forces in the Philippines and Alaska
small detachments at the principal har-
bors and for other coast defence pur-
poses and the remainder for training
purposes.
Gen. McAndrew recommended par
ticularly strong defences for the canal
and Hawaii
IF we can effectually control the
Panama Canal and the Hawaiian
Islands," he told the committee, I'VE
can have peace in the Pacific on our
own terms; otherwise 1t will be on the
terms OF the other fellow. By all means
we must safeguard Hawaii. Its loss In
time of war would put japan or any
combination of Asiatic Powers on the
flank of our communication to Asia and
the Philippines.
Hawaiians ms Key to Pacific.
Any enemy must first take the
Hawaiian Islands to carry on an effec-
tive campaign against the Pacific coast.
Otherwise their lines Of communications
will be too long.
"It is likely that in any war in the
Pacific we might not at first have the
preponderance of naval strength. The
army would have to maintain the ISL
ands until reenforcements were brought
by the sending of the Atlantic fleet.
With one division and the shore bat
teries we could keep a navy of for
some time because Of the few landing
places on the islands,"
The present big gun defences Of the
Panama Canal are adequate, Gen. Nc
Andrew said, but a complete division
is needed in the zone to prevent any
foreign Powers from landing forces in
other parts of the Isthmus and thus
gaining control of the canal.
During discussion of the Pacific stu
alton Chairman Kahn (Cal) pointed
out that the treaty OF peace gives
Japan practically all the islands for
merly held by the Germans north of the
equator and that this brings Japan
much closer to the Hawaiian Islands.
Gen. McAndrew was inclined to belittle
the strategic Importance of the Philip
pines in case of an attack on the west
and recommended keeping a depleted
division there, to be supplemented by
native militia.
The General showed little enthusiasm
for the immediate operation of the
League of Nations, with a corresponding
decrease in all military and naval estab-
lishments.
1.-THE entire world is unsettled to-day"
he said, and the League of Nations,
even If 1t would accomplish all that
has been said for 1t, would not he in
effectual operation for some time to
come. Therefore it seems to me that
until the world becomes readjusted we
should maintain what might be called
a large army"
Safety in Universal Training.
From his experience in France Major
Gen. McAndrew approved the statements
of Major-Gen. Leonard Wood. that uni
versal military training would save the
lives of many men in case of war.
Ou CdllHOl ltdCll Il man now TO Jake
care Of himself on the field of battle in
two or three months. My opinion is that
nine months would be the best period for
universal military training, but think
much could be accomplished in six
months, although that should be the
minimum. Our experience was that the
losses in battle were larger with less
training.
THE impression is that we fought the
war with men trained only for three
months. The truth is that the average
period of training was more than six
months. Our greatest need was trained
officers and for that reason / believe
during peace we should have a large
overhead Of officers to train the large
numbers of men necessary in modern
warfare. Our peace time companies
should not be sl1eletonzed down to fewer
than 100 men. for the majority OF the
big wars have been decided in the first
six months Of the conflict"
Gen. McAndrew denied that the men
under universal training could be used
for active war service and stated that
he believed all of the Regular Army in
peace time should be filed by volunteers
with the provision that the selective
draft act shall become automatically in
force in case of war.
DANIELS BACK FROM PACIFIC.