Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-11-23
MARCH WANTS
STANDING ARMY
OF 100000 men
Chief of Staff Forecasts Rec.
concentrations to Be Made
BY War Department When
Cnogress Reconvenes.

GIiuYTeSS heC0llVeneS.
| Washington, Nov. "a standing
army of about 100000 men, backee
by universal military training sys
tenn to supply reserves, would NEE
the peace time requirements of tn.
Bnited States, Gen. PAXTON c
| March, chief of staff, declared in hi:
annual report. made public today
and which probably forecasts recon-
mendations to be made by the Wal
department when congress recon.
venes.
General March founded his judg.
nent on lessons of the world war
That proved conclusive1y, he said
that ability to be self-sustaiuing for
an indefinite period, provided the
army was adequately prepared, was
the nations greatest military asset
Nothing to Fear.
So far as purely naval operations
are concerned, he added, the United
States has nothing'to fear from "any
conceivable combination" of naval
powers, but must be prepared to
prevent seizure of bases by an en-
envy controlling the sea and intend
ing landing troops.
Without the possession of such
bases in France" the report said,
I'VE could not have landed our army.
irrespective of the fact that the al
lies had control of the sea-"
/ General March recommended fix
ing the strength of the regular army
at five army corps, maintained at
half strength in peace time. The
proposals the department presented
tentatively to congress during the
special session called for 100000
men and the statement Of the chief
of staff was taken to indicate that
this would be scaled down to &c.,
GOO. .....
Defends Staff System.
The report defended the present
staff system with authority central
lied in the chief of staff. Proof of
its efficiency could be found, it said,
in the fact that the United States
lad sent more than 100000 men
and vast supplies overseas, thus be-
coming "a positive factor in the mill
tary actions of the war"
Il am convinced" Gen. March
said, that without properly or
ganized and efficient general staff
with authority to formulate and
execute the army program it will in
future wars as in this and every
other war of our history be i1npos-
sible for the activities of the various
agencies, services and bureaus of
the war department to be con-
trolled and directed to the attain
ment of the common end"
Under the terms of the treaty of
peace" Gen. March added, "the
German general staff is abolished.
Had the Germans won the war,
they would in all probability have
prescribed somewhat similar terms
for the United States"
Products of War.
The war produced new practices
but not new principles, the report
said and was not won, as some
predicted, by new and terrible de-
velopment of modern science" but
by men, munitions and morale"
: The American military achieve
ment was possible "only because of
the assistance of our allies" Gen.
March said, and in urging an ade-
quate military policy added: Surely
we can never expect to prepare for
defense against the attack of
powerful and determined agency
again under such favorable condi-
ton to ourselves"
Military experts are agreed, he
said, that the bulwark of American
power is its ability for self-susteS
nance. This involving, as it does
our unlimited resources of man
power and wealth." he said, "consti-
tutes our greatest national military
asset, provided, and only provided,
we are prepared to prevent the land
ing on our shores of an enemy of the
size which our own performance has
demonstrated to the world can be
lduuCu ny III ot-Sidoo poWSi uiidSA
certain conditions. These condi-
tons are that it shall have control
Of the sea and control of the proper
bases for. debarkation.
1t is, accordingly, one of the very
lessons of this war, that
provision and sound
policy demand that there
shall be at all times available for i'm
mediate use sufficient trained and
force to insure, in connec-
tion with our fixed coast defenses.
that no probable or possible enemy
Tan ever seize a great strategic base
On our coast. With such base IN
MS possession, it is not inconeeiv-
able that he could within short
time land sufficient number Of fully
equipped troops to seize and hold,
BY establishing line of defense not
Incompatible in length with that
1eld by the Germans on the western
'front.', an area including such an ap-
oreciable portion of the resources
md wealth of the country asIto re-
suit in consequence of incaltulable
moment to the nation"