The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-11-26
BADLY NEEDED
GENERAL MARCH POINTED
TO ARMY WANTS
Small Difficulty Is Expected In
Getting Men To Fill
Ranks

Il
Little difficulty in obtaining the
100000 men necessary to make UP the
peace time army authorized by con-
gress il anticipated. Major General
March, chief or staff, said In his an
nual report made public today by the
War Department. The problem of
obtaining the 17,717 officers needed
for the reorganized army Ii diff
ficult, however, and was rendered
more so. General March said, by the
delay in the enactment Of legislation
governing the reorganization OF the
army.
1.-THE magnitude of the problem Of
selecting. the additional officers re-
CURED to complete the permanent
complement" said General March,
land the tremendous effect which
will inevitably be exercised upon the
future efficiency OF the entire army
by the character and qualifications
Of the new officers to be selected, is
indicated by the fact that the actual
strength Of the entire army in com
missioned officers on April 6, 1917,
was but $3.50, Of whom about $50
held provisional appointments"
Regular Officers Resign
The General added that the prob
lem was further complicated by the
resignation of 1,647 regular officers
in the fiscal year ending last June 80,
the period covered by his report.
Approximately $4,000 applications
from former officers and reserve Of
dcers for transfer to the regular es-
Enlistment were received by the
war department before the lists were
closed, the general continued, and
the task of selecting from these ap-
plicants, the ten thousand additional
officers needed to fill out the army
quota Is still under way.
General March had this to say of
the army reorganization legislation
passed by the last congress:
"The act provides for a regular, ar
my of approximately 220, 900 men and
1900 officers. 1t does not provide
for universal military training nor for
the application of the draft system
In future emergencies. 1t may be
stated without further qualifications
that an adequate reserve Of trained
soldiers available for use in an emer-
gency Is an essential prerequisite to
any plan for national defense and the
creation and maintenance of such re-
serve without military training is Ina
POSSIBLE"
General March said a new and
permanent policy whereby the War
Department definitely assumes the
responsibility for the education and
recreation Of the enlisted personnel
has been promulgated as the result
or war experiences and '.the illiteracy
so strikingly prevalent in the draft
army. Functioning through three
and moral training, the new service.
General March said, has set up
machinery to train techicians and
mechanics to meet the army,s needs
and to raise the soldier's general In
teliigence In order to increase his
military efficiency and to 1T the sol
der or q definite occupation uron his
returning to civil life.'' III
Reviewing the work OF the ,Ameri.
can military forces abroad, General
March disclosed that the cost OF
maintaining the American army OF
occupation on, the Rhine up to last
June 80 had been $257. 0oo, 900 which
Germany is obligated to pay under
the terms Of the armistice. OF the
total due. the general said, slightly
more than $4,000, 900 had been paid
or liquidated leaving approximately
S222.000,000 due to the United States
from Germany.
Record OF Occupation
The American occupation In Ger
many, the general added. has been
clean, digni6ed, just and forceful,
free from tyranny and characterized
by q minimum of friction with the
Inhabitants
Its success has been largely due
TO the high character and common
sense Of the American officer and
soldiers. the general continued. "they
have lived UP to their instructions to
make the government firm, Just, dig
ntfied. in accordance with she laws
OF war and the best traditions of the
American army. The American peo
pie may well be PROUD of their CON
duct and their accomplishments"
With regard to the situation on the 1
Mexican border, General March said
The necessity for protecting our
southern border has continued dur
ing the year. The duties performed
included patrolling the border to
prevent bandits from crossing the
international line and making raids
into the United States and commit
ing depredations against the lives and
property of American citizens. While
1t was not practicable to maintain a
continuous guard along the entire bor-
der. the troops were so distributed
that information concerning raids
might De acted urCn with sufficient
promptness to minimize the dangers
therefrom."
Reviewing the rehabilitation of
the war army. now completed, Cen
eral MarchN reported that in return
ing to- civil life the $4,000 enlisted
men and $1,000 officers OF that army
remaining in the service July l. 1915
the department adoIted policy of
releasing the men not required for
military purposes as rapidly as thew
could be absorbed by the country.
SHundreds Of thousands of men
Were returned promrtly to their
families and industrial employment
who might not have been released
for months under system of indus
trial rehabilitation or bahed largely
upon individual requests for dis.
charge, said the General.
Complete All Details
The absorption Of these men into
the general life Of the country NanS
their return to productive employ
ment assisted in the permanent re-
OF Industrial life and Ell.
pedited the return OF the country TO |
normal peace time conditions. No
rehabilitation in history has pre-
sented problems of greater Ynagni-
tude OF comrlexity ana none ta., N q
carried out in more expeditions,
thorough or orderly manner"
Taking up the disposition Of war