Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-10-19
Army and Navy News

The Senate committee on military
affairs has learned the truth about
the way the War Department bill for
the reorganization of the Army was
prepared, and it now knows that the
bill does not represent the views of the
great war plans division of the gen.
eral staff as to the military policy for
the United States.
Col. John McA. Palmer of the war
plans branch, in answer to the SEN
ators. stated positively that the policy
| presented in the bill was not the
policy which the plans division rec
omn ended. The pending bin repre-
sented, as far as the plans division is
concerned, only a ministerial duty
! performed at the order of the chief of
staff in working out the details for
the creation of a standing army of
about 100000 men and their officers.
| He further informed the committee
| that the war plans division of the
| general staff had made a report on
| the bill which Senator New intro
| duced in the spring of 1917 for sys-
| tenn of military training. The report
mas never lOuHO us way 10 the COM
mittee. Senator New asked whether
| the war plans division had submitted
| other recomme nda lions for a military
| policy to be adopted by Congress. To
which Col Palmer replied that it had
! on several occasions-notably in the
spring of 1917, when it prepared the
plans for a national army under uni
versal military training. which the
Secretary of War had presented to
Congress.
In response to further questions
Col. Palmer said that the present
military policy recommended by the
war plans division of the general
staff was a system of universal mill
tary training and the organization OF
a citizen army; that the size OF the
Regular Army should be limited 10
number sufficient to carry this pol
icy into effect. The studies of the
war plans division led irresistibly 10
this conclusion. The Regular Army es-
tablishment should, for the purpose of
| inaugurating such a policy. have an
initial force of $1,000 officers and
| $50, 900 enlisted men; but that this
number represents an ample allow
| ance which can probably be reduced
| materially under the successful oper-
| alton of citizen army.
Col Palmer emphasized the fact that
| the views and recommendations of the
war planning division had not been
placed before Congress; that the pres
| emit bill did not represent the views
| of the division-only its mechanical
work in the distribution of a force OF
$4,000 men under the instruction OF
1.-THE chief of staff.
$50 that now" interjected Senator
Wadsworth. I'VE have only the we"
| of the chief executive officer as to the
size of the Army and the policy to be
adopted"
When asked his view as to the in
tent Of the general staff law of 1903.
| Col. Palmer said that in his opinion
whenever plan for the national de-
Tense requires the action OF Congress
before it can be carried into effect,
Congress is entitled to the recon-
lmendations of the agency which 1t
created for the express purpose OF
preparing such plans. This agency
under the law is the general stat and
not the chief of, staff. The recon-
mendations of this body should be de-
llivered to Congress with such in
fdorsements of approval or disapproval
as the chief of staff or the Secretary
Of War may see fit to attach. Only by
| this procedure will Congress be able
to receive the scientific advice OF any
agency created by 1t for the specihc
purpose of giving such advice.
Asked to sum up the advantages to
the Individual of military training.
as it could be employed In 2 citizen
army, Col. Palmer said: Training
an opportunity for better education
Men will live under better health con-
ditions learn the fundamentals OF
hygiene, gain good habits in place OF
| bad habits, get better training in
team work and those who have the
quality in them develop the element
| OF leadership and reflect it in their
subsequent civil war.
The Secretary of War has stated
that in the unsettled world conditions
an army of the proposed size-more
than half million men--is necessary
The chief, of staff in recommending
the bill said that. although he had
| not heard any expression from the
President, it was fairly to be inferred
that the bill in it's present shape
would not have been submitted with
out the approval of the President AS
far as known no authorized statement
has appeared for the specific need OF
SO large an army in the United states
| in time of peace.
X X X
Col John MICA. Palmer, who. by the
way, is the grandson and namcsake Of
the former
Cronras<;onc for pao1 Governor of