The sun., 1919-06-01
s17,1S6 TROOPS
RETURNED IN MAY
% Fuel Divisions and Seven
Skeletons Now Total
Of Shipments.
MARCH DEFENDS PLANS
Chief of Staff Stands By Pro-
posal for $4,000 Men
Next Year.
Special Despa.cn 10 TEE Soy.


wAsHINoToN, May 31.--All records for
getting American troops back from
France were broken during May, when
317,1S6 were landed at American ports
from overseas Gen. March. Chief Of
Staff. announced to-day.
equipments OF troops from abroad
have now totalled twenty-five full d.
visions and seven skeleton divisions"
Gen. March said, leaving intact in
France only seven regular divisions"
Replying to the opponents OF his
army reorganization plan. which involves
a temporary average strength Of $685.
900 mon for the next fiscal year. the
Chief Of Staff said that a return to
the strength permitted under the ma
tional defence act would be fatal to the
army's future.
Tho organization Of the army un-
der the so-called Hay-Chamberlain bin"
Gen March said, "is on a peace strength
OF $4,000 combatants with certain stan
corps not included in that total, making
a total strength in round numbers of
10000: The bill provided for organi-
sations which were developed by this
war such as the tank corps, the air
service. motor transport corps, embark
alton and inland traffic services, to men
ton some specific cases.
old Plan Inadequate.
IF the army were to revert to the or
ganisation prescribed in the national de-
fence act and>we tried to keep up the
motor transport corps. the embarkation
service. the inland traffic service and the
great storage plants we have construct
ed all over the United States the Quar-
termaster Corps would not have in its
authorized LIST of officers and men
enough men FOR any one of these ser
vices to function. The personnel Sc
cured Tor these corps separately ara
each one OF them as strong as the en-
TIRE Quartermaster Corps authorized by
that Dill. Furthermore each one of
th+ee corps Is in the hands of experts In
their work developed by the war.
The regular Quartermaster Corps Is
composed or officers who are not spe-
ciaists IN any one Of those branches. and
unoer that bill II would be literally i'm
possible for the army to function except
by the abandonment OF everything we
learned in this war. OF course the air
service was little branch Of the Signal
corps. having handful of planes and a
handful of badly trained men. We have
In the proposed bill made the air service
fourth arm. on an equality with the
infantry. cavalry and field artillery. II
We revert to the old organization, with
the Signal Corps containing an aviation
section. the whole air service would pass
out or existence. It lie very serious
matter. and wanted TO Impress II upon
the committee as did.
-.-. Shift in General Star.
There has been a number of changes
III the personnel OF the General Stan dur
Ing the LAST week. have ordered back
from the A E. F. Major-Gen. James w
McAndrew, Chief OF Staff of the Expeai-
tlonary Force, to be the head of the
General Staff College. which In the new
scheme or instruction of our army re-
places the old War College. The Cen
eral Stan College will be separated en-
tireiy from the General Staff activities
ana VIII not belong to the War Plans Dr.
vision, as II used to in the past
The War Plans Division will con-
unue funcuoning as a General Stan sec
ton, doing General Staff work, and the
War College so called. which becomes
the General Stan College, will be pre-
sided over by Gen. McAndrew, who be-
fore he became Chief Of Staff of the A.
r. r. had been selected to be head of the
School in America, and In
France took part in the early organiza-
ton and formation OF the instruction
system I'm the American Expeditionary
Force.
Brig. Gen. Lytle Brown. present head
Of the War Plans Division. will be re-
placed by Major-Gen. William NJ. Ham,
recently returned from France, which is
a permanent brigade in the Regular
Army.
orders have been issued assigning
Col Robert NJ. Danforth as commandment
Or cadets at West Point, replacing the
present commandant. Col. Bugge, who is
4 retired officer. Col. Danforth is now
In France, and will assume the duties of
when he returns. which will
probably be about the middle Of July,
COL Danforth attained the grade of
Brigade General and is an
'ncer OF great ability and experience"