South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-12-23
BEGIN To F RAME
NEW RED LAWS
Principles of Measure Garner
ed From Investigations
Made by Committee.
BY LOUIS LUDLOW.

News-Tlmes Washington Correspondent.
Z WASHINGTON, ID. G, Dec. "a
A subcommittee Of the military af-
{ fairs committee OF the senate has
begun work on a bill for the crea-
ton of a new military policy in the
United States involving radical de-
! partures Of many kinds from the
practices that have been followed by
the army since the days Of the civil
war.
Features of BIZ.
Principal features Of the new bill
already have been determined, fol-
| lowing exhaustive hearings conduct
ed by the committee at which all
the military authorities in the coun-
/ Try appeared and gave advice. The
work Of the subcommittee will be
TO write the bill based on the prin-
ciples which already have been set
| tied by the committee as constitut-
ing the best permanent military po-
Icy for the nation.
The features of the bill will be:
Universal training for all
young men. based on the Kahn
Chamberlain-New plan. with modif-
cations proposed by Gen. Pershing
and Maj. Gems. Wood and Mean
crews.
2-An army OF not TO exceed ESQ.,
900 men, probably less.
"A separate air service, based
on the theory that this service is
equal in Importance with the infan-
/ try. cavalry and artillery.
RE establishment of the pre-
war status of the national guard,
/ but giving the guard more voice in
( its own affairs and giving the guard
representation on the general staff.
Establishment of the chemical
warfare service as a separate branch
of the army.
enlargement of the general
staff.
Provision for promotion Of
army officers from a single list.
Bill Differs.
| Not only does this bill differ rad
/ ically from the recommendation or
the general staff, as these recon-
mendations were forced to be made
/ by Sec'y of War Baker, but it also
/ differs materially from the house
| bill, already written, in many i'm
portant provisions. The size OF the
army to be recommended by the
| senate committee is approximately
the size recommended by the house
committee. but in most other impor-
/ tant matters the differences between
the two bills are so great that they
are hardly recognizable as dealing
with the same questions.
Universal Training.
Universal training is the big item
| in the senate bill and around that
provision will center the storm Of
the fight to keep America prepared
| for war and TO prevent the country
| from lapsing into the state OF un-
preparedness that il had reached
prior TO the European war. A six
months compulsory training period
| for all the young men of the nation.
probably at the age of 19, will be
provided. The regular divisions OF
the army, posted at the immense
environments which will be kept per
manently by the army. will be used
as the nucleus for training each
years class of young men. After a
class has had its six months train
ing it will pass to the reserve for a
| certain number of years.
Army Force.
This plan, it Is estimated. will
give the United States a regular
army and a reserve estimated up TO
1000, 600 trained men that could be
modified in an exceedingly short
| space of time, depending only on the
Availability of supplies and equip
ment. There is every prospect thai
the plan will meet strong resistance
from volunteer army advocates and
pacihsts and hackers of the senate
bill will be pleased if only the ma
jor portion of their plan is adopted.
The war department recommend
| ed a regular army of $4,000 men,
| but il was almost the unanimous
/ opinion Of the military experts that
a permanent volunteer army Of this
/ size could not be gathered together
| unless the government was willing to
] 20 out into the open market and bid
I for professional soldiers against the
| other trades and employments. Fur
| thermore, the testimony OF all mill
| tary men was that such an army
would be tremendous and unjusti-
| fed expense and would serve no
good end.
Personnel of Army.
To the personnel Of the army, the
/ recommendation for promotions
from a single list is probably the
most important OF all innovations
J proposed in the senate bill. The
complaint has been HERETOFORE that
certain branches Of the army receiv-
ed recognition by promotions 10 a
much greater extent than other
branches and the placing Of all army
I officers, engineers, infantry, cavalry,
/ aviation, chemical warfare and all
others. including staff officers, on a
single list. will mean that all branch
es will receive promotions in turn.
This change was recommended by
the war department and the recon-
mendation was concurred in by Gen.
| Pershing and most all other COM
manding officers.