Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-23
GEN. MARCH URGES
100000 STANDING
ARMY IN REPORT
Recommends Universal MiII
tary Training to Supply
Reserves.
BASES HIS JUDGMENT
ON LESSONS OF WAR
Declares Advantage Should Be
Taken d Present Mill
tart Situation.

men, backed by a universal military
training/system to supply reserves.
would /fneet the peace-time require
meDss of the United States. Gen. Pey-
ton C. March, chief of staff, declared
in his annual report. made public
yesterday, and which probably fore
casts recommendations to be made by
the War Department when Congress
reconvenes.
Gen. March founded his judgment
on lessons of the world war. They
proved conclusively, he said, that
ability to be self-sustaining for an
indefinite period, provided the Army
| was adequately prepared. was the ma
tons greatest military asset.
Urges Definite Policy.
Gen. March strongly urges that
| the country take advantage of its pres
ent military situation, with 100000
trained soldiers and 100000 trained Of
ficers, supplemented by equipment and
supplies adequate for any emergency
Of the immediate future. to write a
definite and continuing military policy.
The annual interest on the nations eX-
penditureS during the war, twenty-four
billions, would more than pay for the
scheme of preparedness he has mapped
out for the army, he said, and attached
to the report is the final product Of
the general staff study Of the military
situation and needs of the country in
the form of reorganization bill Sec
rotary Baker is asked to present to
Congress.
So far as purely naval operations
are concerned, he added, the United
States has nothing to fear from ANY
conceivable combination" of naval
powers: but must be prepared to pre-
vent seizure of bases by an enemy
controlling the sea and intent on
landing troops.
without the possession of such
bases in France" the report said, I'VE
could not have landed our Army.
irrespective of the fact that the allies
had control of the seas"
Advises Five Army Corps.
Gen. March recommended fixing the
strength of the Regular Army at five
army corps, maintained at half
| strength in peace time. The pro-
posals the department presented
tentatively to Congress during the
special session called for $4,000 men.
and the statement of the chief of STAFF
was taken to indicate that this would
be scaled down to 100000.
The report defended the present
general staff system with authority
centralized in the chief of staff. Proof
of it's efficiency could be found, 1t said,
| in the fact that the United states had
sent more than 100000 men and vast
supplies overseas. thus becoming "A
nositiye factor in the concluding mill
tary actions of the war.
~ am convinced" Gen. March said.
chat without a properly organized
and efficient general staff with au-
thority to formulate and execute the
Army program it will in future wars,
9 in this and every other war OF our
history be impossible for the activi-
ties of the various agencies, services
and bureaus of the War Department
to he controlled and directed to the
attainment of the common end.
"ITnder the terms of the treaty OF
ne,ce" Gen. March added. "the Ger
man general staff is abolished. Had
the Germans won the war. they would
in all probability have prescribed
souewhat similar terms for the United
States"
mMen. Munitions and Morale"
The war produced new practices, but
not new principles. the report said.
and was not won, as some predicted,
by a new and terrible development or
modern science" but by men, NUM-
tions and morale"
The American military achievement
was possible "only because of the as
sistance of our allies" Gen. March
said, and in urging an adequate mill
tary policy. added:
SURELY we can never expect to pre-
pare for defense against the attack or
a powerful and determined agency
again under such favorable conditions
to ourselves"
Military experts are agreed. Gen.
March said, that the bulwark OF Ameri-
can mower is its ability for self-sus-
tenance.
.rhis involving, as it does. our un-
limited resources of man power and
wealth" he said CONSTITUTES our
greatest military asset, provided. and
only provided, we are prepared to
nrevent the landing on our shores of
an enemy of the size which our own
performances has demonstrated to the
world can be landed by a first-class
mower under certain conditions. These
conditions are that it shall have con-
troll of the sea and control OF proper
bases for debarkation."
cit is, accordingly, one of the very
imnortant lessons of this war that
reasonable provision and sound mill
tarv policy demand that there shall be
at ALL times available for immediate
use a sufficient trained and organized
force to insure, in connection with
our fixed coast defenses, that no prob
able or possible enemy can ever seize
a great strategic base on our coast.
With such a base in his possession it
Ia not inconceivable that he could.
within a short time. land sufficient
TContjnned an Second Page1