Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-03-09
ARMY'S MINIMUM
WILL Be 5O9,909
No Further Reduction in Military
Force Pending Action
by Congress.
ENLISTMENTS ARE RESUMED
American Troops Actually in En-
gagements Against Foe Num-
bered 100000.
ENLIsTMENTs ARE RESUMED
fRE Associated Pres.

WASHINGTON. March s-General
march announced today that the army
would not be reduced under any cir
cumstances below the figure men
toned in the reorganization bill which
failed in Congress. a total of 5os.909
officers and men. He said this total
would be maintained until some law
was passed providing for a permanent
force which would permit the mill
tary necessities OF the United States
TO be handled"
Under existing legislation, the maxi
mum war strength OF the permanen,
army is around 23S.ooo. The exact
figure. officers explained. cannot be
stated, since some OF the staff corps
as the quartermaster's corps, for in
stance. are permitted wide latitude in
their expansion.
voluntary enlistment to fill the regu-
In this country and In France, General
Pershing having been authorized to
transfer recruits obtained from the ex-
peditionary fJ:ces to the regular or
ent number Of drafted men.
There will remain. however, a de-
fciency OF 100000 from the total de-
clared by the military authorities to be
sponsibilities OF the United States.
These men. therefore, will have to
come from the forces which the War
Department has planned to demobi-
lize.
EXPLAINS EFFECT OF
FAILURE OF CONGRESS TO ACT
Secretary Baker several days ago. in
explaining the position of the War
Department as a result OF the failure
Of the Sixty-fifth Congress to pass the
army reorganization and appropriation
Dill, said his greatest regret was that
a large number of men will now have
TO be retained in the service.
The selective service act. under
which many Of the men TO be re-
tanned were indicted. fixes four months
after the presidential proclamation of
peace as the maximum for the ,reten-
tion OF members OF the temporary
forces.
Military authorities for4see no COM
plication as a result OF this limita-
ton, however, feeling certain the final
peace treaty cannot be agreed upon
extend the enlistment period of the
draft contingents to September before
which they feel certain Congress will
have acted to relieve the situation.
AMERICANA IN FIGHTING
LINE NUMBERED 1880. 600
American troops actually participant
numbered 100000 men. General March
announced the figures today. showing
that 100000 comprised divisional
troops and divisional requirements.
100000 corps and army troops and 5O.-
900 service or supply troops.
Demobilization reports made public
today by General March showed 1,36l,-
SIS officers and men discharged to
leased had reached l.6l3.5oo.
Up to March 3 departures Of soldiers
from France numbered 4ls.555.. Of
whom 354,S24 had landed in the United
States up to yesterday.
Hospital records from the expedi-
tionary force. General March said,
showed Sl.23l patients on February 20.
a reduction from 1l2.2I7 when the
armistice was signed.
A reduction in the number OF demo-
Obligation camps from thirty-thr to
purpose being to enable the War De-
partment to release thousands of men
who, under the original plan. would
have bee nheld at the ten additional
camps as rehabilitation personnel
THIRTEEN OF ORIGINAL
CAMPS ABANDONED
Thirteen OF the thirty-three original
camps designed as rehabilitation CEN
tiers will be abandoned. Three new
camps. Forts Bliss. Oglethorpe and D.
A. Russell. have been added, bringing
the total TO twenty-three.
The new list OF rehabilitation CEN
tiers as announced today follows:
Camps Bliss, Bowie. Custer. Devens.
Dix. Dodge. Funston. Gordon. Grant,
Jackson, Kearney, Lee. Lewis. Meade.
Francisco. D. A. Russell. Shelby, Sher-
man Taylor Travis and linton