Arizona republican., 1919-11-23
P e r m a nent Organization Formed To Further Plans Phoenix Man To Rep resent Arizona On Exec utive Body
IRepubIiean A. p. Leased Wire1

army of about 260,000 men, backed by universal military trainingg system 10 supply reserves, would meet the peace time requirements of the United States General Peyton c. March, chief of staff, declared in his annual report, made public today and which probably forecasts recommendations to be made by the war department when congress reconvenes.
 General March founded his judgment on lessons of the world war that proved conclusively, he said that ability to be self sustaining for an indefinite period, provided the army was ade- quately prepared, was the nations greatest military asset.
 Need Not Fear Naval Powers
 So far as purely naval operations are concerned. he added, the United States has nothing to fear from any conceivable combination of naval pow CTS; but must be prepared to prevent seizures of bases by an enemy con- trolling the sea and intent on landing troops.
 Without the possession of such bases in France" the report said, i've could not have landed our army, ire spectiFe of the fact that the allies had control of the sea"
 General March recommended fixing the strength of the regular army at five army corps, maintained at half strength in peace times. The pro- posals the department presented ten tativefy to congress during the spe- cial session called for 590, ,000 men and the statement of the chief of staff was taken to indicate that this would be sealed down to 260,06o.
 uphoIds Staff System | The report defended the present staff system with authority centralized in the chief of staff. Proof of its ef- ficiency could be found, 1t said, in the l fact that the United States had sent more than 2.00o, 900 men and vast sup piled overseas, thus becoming "a posi- 1 tive factor in the military actions o1 the war"
 T am convinced" General Marct said, that without properly organ ized and efficient general staff witt | authority to formulate and execute tn, army program, it will in future wars a. in this and every other war of ou, history be impossible for the activitie of the various agencies service and bu reaus of the war department to b, controlled and directed to the attain ment Of the common end"
 ''The size of such force, which i essential if the country is to be af forded that degree of protection whicl a sound military policy requires, mus be determined by a consideration O our extended coast line, by the neces sary dispersion of the force due {. the distance from coast to coast, an, by the necessity of providing for tn safety of the Panama canal and othe lrsular possessions"
 With a peace army of five corps
 backed up by system of universe
 military training. no foreign countr could, ir view of our performance i this war, disregard our rights" Gen
 eral March said.
 Explains Sibe-ian Expedition
 The Siberian expedition was under
 taken solely 10 keep open then Sibcr ian ra;iroad and protect the Czecho Slovak forces, General March said, an . paid tribute to Major General Will al
 s Graves, commanding the expedition
 ''He and his men have performed . difficult and ariuous task with cred
 to themselves and to the country" tf chief of staff wrote
 General March disclosed the ia, that German agents scheduled as earl as 1915, in securing a copy of tt
 secret code of the war department.
 was replaced at once by an intrica e system of confidential communicable 5 American operatives of the intelligen, q service, he added, were very success : ful in solving the methods of eneu
 spies, more than 50 important secre |, ink spy letters" at once have been di
 covered. Concluding, General Mar,
 said:
 "The American soldier, from wha
 ever source has by his conduct ar :, by his self sacrifice, cheerfulnes initiative, aggressiveness and vale f won the confidence and praise of h d comrades in arms of all nations. IT . magnificent performance of Gener
 Pershing and his command in this Vi
 will always be source of pride to
 Americans"
 .f The report gives in considerable d if tail the organization of the departme as built up during theY war and tel V of the work done both before and aft the armistice by each branch. ,f Under the terms Of the treaty ,a peace,' General March added, "the Ge ', man general staff is abolished. H s the Germans won the war, they woI A in all probability have prescribed son F what similar terms for the Unit 70 States
 The war produced new practices = not new principles, the report said, a - was not won, as some predicted, by es new and terrible development of mo ern science" but by men, munitie and moraie''
 eo Gives Allies Credit. Ss The American military achievem, T. was possible "only because of the " sistance of our allies, General Maj re said, and in urging an adequate m 1- tary policy added:
 Surely we can never expect to D " pare for defense against the attack d. a powerful and determined agel
 under such favorable conditions to O
 selves
 Military experts are agreed, he s t- that the bulwark of American poN is is it's ability for self sustenance "Tl ss involving, as it does our unlimi t. resources of man power and wealt g he said, constitutes our greatest to tional military asset provided, it. only provided, we are prepared to r ci- vent the landing on our shores of ad enemy of the size which our own r h. formance has demonstrated to re world can be landed by first cl v power under certain conditions. I'll IT, conditions are that it shall have c en trol of the sea and control of the I on per bases for debarkation. nd -