River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1919-07-31
Our Weekly Letter
From Washington
(By James A. Frear, NJ. C.l

y hdid " eApIaIu pTeJuQlco
against the regular army, as now
constituted. Congress fairly re-
fleets the sentiment Of the country
and after the conclusion of war.
shoulder straps Of stern looking
officers ceased to affect the average
citizen. Efforts by the Staff to
maintain the regular army contin-
gent, headed by The General Staff.
has been compelled to accept the
inevitable. Generals who were
captains before the war, are
again wearing two bars on their
shoulders. All down the line, de-
motions are being made while thou
sands of Johnnies come marching
home joyfully instead of being held
| indefinitely under strict military
rule that accompanies regular army
service. Temporary decentralization
accompanies Rehabilitation, but
this will largely disappear after new
units are consolidated. During the
war, many instances occurred of
grossly unjust treatment Of the
National Guard by regular army
| officers. The guard made good
during the war. No ridicule will
ever again be levelled at the Nation
al Guard, which in the And and 32nd
Divisions and other units fought an
advancing enemy to standstill, and
showed that civilian soldiers, when
trained by men like Generals King,
Boardmen and Midway of Wisconsin,
were second to none Secretary
Baker has now approved a proposed
reorganization of the National
Guard to included forty-seven
regiments and eighteen battalions
of infantry, six regiments, seventeen
squadrons and nineteen troops of
cavalry; ten regiments, twenty
battalions and seven batteries of
field artillery and seVenty-foar coast
artillery companies. This organiza-
ton would be a mobile force with
maximum expansion of 440, 900 men,
but maintaining an average of less
than one half that number. This
proposal may solve the large stand
ing army problem, which idea is not
popular, with the country generally.
A public statement, for which /
cannot vouch gives the following
comparative pay of soldiers in the
several armies named A Corporal
in the Australian army receives
$3.50 per month, an American
Corporal $4,000. An American
Private receives $4,000 per month";
French, Japan and Italy forces
receive insignificant pay conpara-
lively respectively. Congressman La
Guartia, the New York Congress-.
man who was with the Italian fiers
during the war, General Mitchell
who had charge Of 1900 British,
French and Americans fiers at st.
Mihiel, and Richenbacker the
American ace who had Is victories
to his credit, may be called before
the aircraft investigation committee
to testify regarding aeroplane
conditions in the battle front. This
same committee will be obliged to
hold hearings at many widely
distant places, which will temper
arily interfere with these letters to
the District. The House is consider
ling a racers proposition sometime in
August, but whatever the decision,
several committees, including the
one which the writer is a member
will continue to grind harder than
ordinarily throughout the year.
/ Since taking on new activities,
several invitations to go among the
clouds have come from old aviators.
All offers have been accepted, when
lever an appointment can be arrang-
ed but the writer has vivid re-
membrance of an inspection trip
made with several colleagues last
spring, when a visit was made to.
the bottom of the sea- with a
submarine and on. the same day we
Went1500 feet=high in an observation
balloon where he only thing above
Eus seemed to be the high cost of
living. A lively wind swung the
basket around like a pendulum so
that when mother earth was again
reached, it looked and felt as good
as when Columbus struck San
A q