New Britain herald., 1920-07-23
U. $. ARMY IS NOW
 VERY MUCH CHANGED
Reorganization Bill Became EffeC-
 tive First of Month

Washington. July 23.-Americas s
 military. esta blishment is being prac-
 tically reTolutionized under the terms
 of the new Army Reorganization bill,
 which became effective July l. Army
 officers say the work will not be con-
 pleted for some months because of
 the broad scope of the measure
 passed at the last session of congress
 to place the land forces on d perma-
 nent peace basis.
 While the Regular Army will con-
 tain only 295.000 officers and men
 scattered over the country and the
 inSular possessions, it will be so ar
 ranged in conjunction with the Ma . tional Guard and the Reserve that rapid expansion of the nations fight
 ing forces in time of emergency will be possible.
 The National Guard will have about 440,000 officers and men, but the strength of the Reserve has not yet been worked out and will depend largely upon the enlistment of eligi- bles. The Regular Army Reserve, as it formerly existed, composed of for mer enlisted men furloughed to the Reserve to complete their enlistment period, ceased to exist as such on July l. In it's place there is estab- l1shed the enlisted Reserve Corps and the Officers Reserve Corps The members of the former, except vet erans of the World War, are required to enlist for three years. Veterans of the World War may enlist for only one year.
 The Officers Reserve Corps is composed of officers who held tenn porary or reserve commissions during the war emergency and graduates Of the Student Officers Training School.
 To accomplish the reorganization of the National Guard and the initial or ganlzation of the Reserve, the Army Dill provides for a general committee to be composed of Regular Army gen. eral staff officers and an equal num- Der of Reserve or National Guard off, cers. In addition, 52 other commit tees. representing each state and ter ritory. will arrange tho National Guard organization in each state and territory. Some of these committees have not been appointed by the gov ernors and, consequently. this work has not yet been put under way.
 While no full plan of organization has been made public, a tentative plan to be placed before the com mittees would divide the country into nine districts with an army corps in each. This corps would consist of one regular, one guard and two re- serve divisions, so organized that in an emergency the two reserve divi- sions. which theoretically would be the only ones much below war strength, could be filled up with se- lective service men. A full quota of officers drawn from the officers re- serve corps would De available for these divisions at all times
 The new regular army strength pro- vides for approximately 17,O0O com missioned officers. To provide this number about 7,COO reserve and tenn porary officers have been kept on duty and it is the plan to reach the fuli officer strength by commissioning about 1000 such office $ and enlisted men in the permanent army. Officers and men to be so commissioned will be selected by a board, known as the Pershing board. headed by General Pershins and including six other officers.
 The bill brosdens the scope of the reserve officers training corps at the various educational institutions over he country, provides instructors and ] fot' tSe schools and also au- l thorizes snmmSr camps to last six l weeks for advaRced training of the | student officers. Graduates of the | raining dorps may be commissioned l n the ora anized reServe.
 The reorganization mea sure further 1 provides that the hoad of the militia | bureau of the war department, which lnder the reorganization has jurisdic- l. ion over national guard and reserve ffairs, shall be a national guard of icer not below the rank of major vho Wllf receive the pay and allow | ncc and have tte rank while on duty | if a major general in the army.
 The offices of secoed and third as- 1 istant secretaries of war are abol- shed by the measure and their duties l .nsorbcd by the assistant secretary Of var who will be charged with tho 'rocureInent of all military supplies nd plans for the mobilization of ma- eriaI and industrial establishments 1 eeded in time of war.