Evening star., 1920-01-12
ARMY CH|EFTA|NS
COME TO CONFER
Military Policies Discussed at
ParIey at War Depart
ment.

With the exception of Gen. Per-
shing. who is in the middle west and
4 few others unable to be here. mos.
/ of the general officers of the Army on
duty in the United States assembled
at the War Department at 10 o'clock
! today for q conference on military
| policies designed to increase the eff
cheney of the Army under existing
conditions.
! Secretary Baker and Gen. March
chief of staff. addressed the meeting
and outlined the purposes for which
! it was called, inviting special atten-
| tion to the necessity for general and
| w n ole hearted cooperation in the
policies of the department. and its
various branches in re Establishing Z
the Army to meet currerT and pro-
Sptctive conditions. One of the prin-
cpal subjects to be discussed by the
conferees at the conference. which
will last several days. was stated to
! be the relations between military and
educational training.
! Most of the morning session was
! devoted to the consideration of de-
Capitalization as now under way.
! and the functions and activities OF
| the war plans division.
Among the out-oftown department
and division commanders in attend
ance are Lieut.. Gems. Hunter L1g-
gett and r. L. Bullard. Maj Gems
! Leonard Wood. c. r. Edwards, III. g.
Sharpe. George Bell. jr, and E. r.
| McGlaChlin
| Cen. March told the assembled Off
| GERS tnat the purpose of these meet
! ines is to let them know what the
! War Department is doing, ana the
! in turn to let the department know
| what they are doing. Criticisms ana
idjseussions were requested with re-
| gard to the policy of decentrallza-
, ton. Cen March said that all agree
! that universal traini ng is necessary
and smoke OF the value Of education
! and recreation in the new Army
| PURPOSES Of Meeting.
| Secretary Baker followed by tell
| ing of the most important purposes
of the meetings. The first purpose Is
to bring together the soiaiers III ,ne
jfeld and those here in the depart
tment so that the outsiders will iooh
mon those in the bureaus as felIo"
+, soldiers. The second purpose is te
convey by a series of conferences
what seem to be the results OF tnt
war in the matter OF trdihlis ~
diers and building up and Keeping tnt
Army at its highest point OF ELL
cheney. ,.,r+h or
the good Qualities of American SOL
/ diers and of thesSDlendid RECORD .ne
| had made and also of the great Sa.ne the
! Of education and recreation IN tnt
| Army There are three ways, ne sald
20 get men into the Army: FIRST, &c
offer such pay as to compete WIN PR,
| yate employers, which plan taxes
awav the inspiration of being serV-
ant for the common. cause and makes
! it merely a job. The Sc econd plan IS ps
fcornpulsory service. The third is &c
make the Army so attractive as te
make the fathers and mothers OF oui
I country glad to see their sons IN the
| Army. ~
| The Secretary of War also spoke or
| the relations between the officers ano
men saving there is no set rule b3
which to win the confidence OF the
mon and that individual officers have
| different methods. He also laid grea'
! stress on the value of educational rec.
reational and social activities in the
! new Army.
| Mai. Cen William G. Haan. formerly
in command of the 32d Cred Arrow
Division, and now assistant chlef OF
staff. and in charge of education and
recreation in the Army. followed with
| a talk on the relations between the
| staff and the men in the field. He
=; said that next year there would be
/ turned out at War College class OF
i staff officers second to none in the
history of the Army Gen. Ham also
! talked of the value of the education
| and recreation work in making the
Army in future a great university In
! khaki.