Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-11-08
pEssHlss WANTS VOLUNTEER RESERVE.

men who served in the great war, 81
! organized as to preserve wartime
designations OF units, was proposed tt
| the military affairs committees OF iht
! congress by General Pershing, as the
| basis OF permanent reserve to bG
maintained in future by universal SER
| vice.
Until universal training got undeI
way. he told the committee, divisions
OF smaller units now disbapded could
be brought back into existence on pa
per, with enough volunteers froin theii
former personnel to make up tile skel-
| eton OF a continuing reserve system.
Later, he continued. men emerging
! from universal training camps could
J be assigned TO these reserve units in
| their home localities. He suggested
that the men thus assigned be as
sembled for drill or maneuyers once
! or twice during the period they are
held for possible service" after train
ing. tho they could not actually be
called into active service except in
! time Of war.
The general said the problem of fit
ting in this plan with any continuance
Of the national guard as such, was a
difficult one. He suggested that the
governors Of states might be given
authority to call the reserves into ser
vice in local emergencies, but PREFER
ed that their training and organiza-
tons be distinctly federal.
Prefers Seleetive System.
General Pershing also declared his
preference for army promotions by Sc
lection rather than seniority, and rec
commended a single list for promotion.
In that way. he said. much dead tim
beT' could be eliminated and existing
inequalities between staff and line re-
moved. The present promotion sys-
tenn he characterized as absurd"
Nearly every army officer goes
around with reorganization bill in
his vest pocket" said General Per-
shing. and if You examine them. youth
find each has one arranging some pro-
motions in his own service.
In France We assigned officers to
duty without regard to what their
previous service had been. and they
Performed efficient service"
Chairman Wadsworth said some re-
cent promotions had created fifty
nine colonies for sixteen cavalry regi-
nents. General Pershing said his
scheme would prevent that.
staff officers have been able to
come to congress" General Pershing
added. "and get promotions to the ex-
ciusion Of promotions for officers of
the actual fighting arms"
When the proposed consolidation of
the chemical warfare service with the
engineer corps was taken up, a COM
mitteeman asked If use Of poison gas
should not be eliminated.
I'D be glad to see that" General
Pershing returned, but somebody else
might use It and leave US in the lurch.
would continue preparation for chem
ical warfare"
Extending some Of his remarks Of
yesterday. General Pershing said the
army department of purchase and fl
nance recommended by him should not
take over the buying of articles now
secured by the quartermaster generals
bureau.
In reducing the army from 100000
to 100000 men, the general said, only
a very small reduction could be made
in the number Of staff officers.
I'VE had 1850 on our staff in France
for an army CT ., eoa, a9e men" he said.
I'VE should have needed the same
number for half as many"
Gives Plan for Guard.
General Pershing was asked to ex-
plain exactly what his theory was for
utilizing the national guard In con-
nection with the military establish
ment
II think It would be wise to take all
troops that have seen war service in
national guard units and induct them
into the federal reserve units" he
answered. The national guard could
be kept as part Of the training SER
vice"
You will always have forty-eighr
different units to deal with in connec-
ton with the national guard. The
states have control over the guard,
but the federal government has some
authority to enforce regulations over
1t.
III no system Of military training
is adopted, we shall have to fall back
upon the national guard. but I should
hate to see it."
the defense Of the guard system and
/
This law provides that every man
trained shall be automatically called
into service ia case of war;" said Rep
resentatives Miller, republican, OF
Washington. What are your views as
to that?'
General Pershing said he would ia
vor passing the trained men into re-
serve organizations and calling them
into service automatically when their
unit was needed.
You wouldn't have q selective
draft, then?" Representative Miller
pursued.
II think the other would be the bet
ter, PLAN" said General Pershing.
1.-THE national guard performed ex-
ce.lent service In the war. considering
tts Limited opportunity Tcr training:
said the general. Its officers and men
had the feeling, and quite properly SO,
that they had not had complete sup
port from the regular army"
One-year enlistments in the regular
army, General Pershing said. should
be continued, and men enlisting for
that period should be exempted from
| universal training.
SCreel cost the country $4,000, 900,
and the bills are not all in yet" says
the Hawksye At Burlington. There IL
talk Of refusing to pay some Of them,
u k>A~A q q L -. &. L.