El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-06-25
VII CurtaiI
PoWer Of The
General Staff
The Sentiment In Congress
Favors Return to the Old
Methods In New Army.


Washington. D. c.. June 25.-A-
though matters or army reorganiza-
ton viii be postponed. as far as pos
sible, for the present and attention
given to passing the army appropria-
ton bill before July !. in order that
funds may be available for the fiscal
year beginning this date. much con-
sideration has been given to the re-
organization subject By members Of
the military committees.
Committee members are decidedly
in favor Of making radical changes
! in the existing system. which was
built Up during the war and which
! involved practically the obiiteration
Of the office of the quartermaster
/ general and the taking over Of most
{ OF its functions by the purchase e
I storage and traffic division OF the
} general staff and reimbursement OF
! functions OF other bureaus. The de-
! fects Of the system have been COM
municated TO them from various
! sources in and/out Of the war depart
ment. with special emphlsas laid on
/ the allegation OF delays and excess
siVe costs in transacting public busi-
ness.
/ So far as concerns present indica-
lions, congress viii provide. when the
reorganization matter is taken up.
for return TO the socalled bureau sys-
TEN. with certain notifications. as
il existed before the war, the differ
ence Of opinion on the subject being
largely as to whether certain actiyi-
ties shall be assigned to this or that
bureau.
Thus there is question whether
transportation shall 80 back to the
quartermaster general OF be under q
new and separate branch. and wheth-
er building and similar construction
shall be under the Quartermaster gen
eral or chief Of engineers
Installation Of separate branch
dealing with finance, now embodied
in the office Of the director of finance,
also will be discussed in its relation
turn that function to the qnartermas-
ter general
However. those are questions or
detail. What is certain, II the present
sentiment in congress prevails, is that
the general staff corps viii be divest-
ed Of much. If not all. Of the various
and diversified functions II accumu-
lated 10 itself during the war under
authority conferred on the president
by the 0Fsrman act and other emer-
gency legislation
when the subject Is taken up there
VIII be no lack Of recommendations
and information upon which to base
conEluSlonS- what VIII nave more
weight than anything else will be in
formation already given and destined
to be enlarged by officers OF the
American evolutionary forces. whose
opinions undoubtedly viii be more
controlling than those OF officers that
have remained at home and proceeded
10 put all sorts Of revolutionary
schemes into effect.
PerShinS 10 Testify.
In the meantime. following passage
Of the appropriation bill, there viii be
hearings by the military committees
en- army organization. at the conve-
nience of the committees and without
limiting testimony to officers on duty
at Washington 1t is hoped that be-
fore the hearings are concluded Gen.
Pershing and other officers now in
Europe will have returned to the
United States and will be available
as sources Of information based on
experience in the field in the pres
ence of the enemy.
Some committee members have
heard that certain officers known 10
disapproVe Of the war department
program for army reorganization
Fave been assigned 10 duty at dis
tant places, but no particular atten-
stiOn is paid to such rumor. Officers
that the committees want 10 hear on
the subject VIII be summoned to
Westinghouse matter where they
may be stationed.