New-York tribune., 1919-08-27
Army Bill Ends
Preparedness,
Says Williams
Munitions Bureau Chief De-
clares His Department
Will Be Stripped by Mea-
suretoReorganize Service
Ns,O York Tribune
lIrsJiJ10fGU R,i-.c,i

NsV York TrtbiMe
Washington BuroGu
WASHINGTON. Aug. 26.-Enact-
men. of the War Department bill for
reorganization of the military estab-
lishment will virtually nullify the
whole preparedness programme" and
will seriously impair the efficiency OF
the army" Major General c.. C. Will
lams, chief of ordnance, testified be-
mittee to-day.
The plain lesson of the European
war, General Williams said, was that
the munitlon programme is the critical
and controlling factor in preparedness.
Yet, in the face of that fact. he pointed
out, the bill, while apparently provid-
ing the Ordnance Department with 400
officers, will actually provide only
flfty-one officers with any ordnance ex-
perlence.
He asked that the Ordnance Depart
ment be constituted regular COM
missioned branch of the army and that
1t be given 4SO experienced officers to
undertake the important work of arm
ing the forces that must be raised to
meet any national emergency.
Estimate Cut Down
Major General Williams said he had
submitted This estimate to the general
staff when asked how many officers his
department would need to train new
officers for an army of 5000 900 men.
Not only had this estimate been cut
down, he said, but provision had
been inserted in the bill that would
strip the Ordnance Department of all
but tifty-one trained officers
In Section 81 of the bill it is pro-
vIded that officers for duty in branches.
such as the Ordnance Department, in
which officers are not commissioned
shall be obtained by temporary de-
tails from among officers of correspond
ing grades in other branches "But
no officer below the grade of leutcn-
ant colonel shall be detailed to duty
detaching him from the branch in
which permanently commissioned for
more than four years in any period Of
SIX years. except in time of actual or
threatened hostil.ies"
Takes Officers Away
Since the large majority of the Of
hcers OF the Ordnance Department
have served more than four wears" !"
said General Williams, this will re-
qulre the immediate return to the line
OF all officers Of any experience, how
ever short, in the Ordnance DEPART
ment, except:
Major general, /; colonels, IT; lieu
tenant colonels, 16; majors, 5; cap
tains, 12 total. 81
Leaving vacancies in the Ordnance
Department as follows:
" Colonels, 8; lieutenant colonels. 81:
majors, 80; captains 96; first lieuten-
ants, u; second leutenants, "a. Total.
349 out of 400 authorized by the bills,
Officers from the line of the
army can, of course, be detailed to
these vacancies, but the mere detail of
an off1cer in the Ordnance Department
goes not OF itself endow him with the
nlghly specialized knowledge necessary
for the performance of the duties or
dlnarily assigned to ordnance officers y
Major General Williams said 5000
technically trained officers had been
temporarily commissioned as officers
IN the Ordnance Department prior to
the signing Of the armistice. If per
mltted to retain some of these officers.
ne said, there would be no reason for
complaint, but another section of the
missions In other branches and serve
Two years before they could be re-
assigned to the department in which
tney were trained. In the mean time
they would have become rusty.
Points Out Error
The provisions of this bill which
make it necessary for an Officer 70 ha
selected to promotion to be recon-
mended in list prepared by his su-
Perior officer in the branch in which
ne ls commissioned also would be pref
udlcial to tho Ordnance Department.
Major General Williams said.
aAnoW2adSe Of tha acnuiramanta >nA