Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-02-24
UNIVERSAL MILITARY TRAINING MAY BE DROPPED FROM B|!. !. l. Committee Decision May Not Appear in Army
 Measure BRING TT UP AS
 SEPARATE MATTER Peace-Time Army of 25O,OOO Men and 17,000 Officers is Provided for
 Under Bill as it
 Stands


 military training may not be includ- ed in the house army reorganization bilf under plan adopted today by republican leaders calling fer con- sideration of the measure the latter part of this week. None of the leaders tonight would deny that commission of a training plan was likely, but asserted that no final agreement had been made with advo- cates of the training proposal.
 Despite the decision of the mli- tary committee adopting universal training, in principle, as a part of the country's future military policy, the committee decision from appear ing in the reorganization bill. Chair man Kahn, who held numerous in- formal conferences with leaders and supporters of the training plan, said no decision had been reached and Representative Mondell, the republic an floor leader, declined to discuss the movement further than to as- sert the army bill was slated to come before the house Thursday.
 The floor is understood to have proposed that instead of attempting adoption of training plan, that the army bill merely provide for con- gressional commission on physical and military training" which would make report to congress next De- cember.
 Such ar authorization, it was said might bring the training plan before the house as a separate proposition MT. Kahn was understood to oppose discarding the advantage already gained in the military committee without definite agreement that the universal training bill, as sep arate proposal, would be given pref erential status later He was said not to have obtained that promise.
 Peace Army of 250,600.
 The committee draft of the reor- ganization bill does not include any declaration of policy with respect to universal training. After the com mittee decision to recommend adop- tion of training, it was decided to refer the question to a subcommit- tee to work out the details. No meeting of this committee a majori- ty of whom oppose the training bill, has been held and the adoption of an outline of plan and it's inclusion in the bill, with final committee recommendation in time for house consideration beginning Thursday seemed impossible. tonight.
 The military committee will con- tinue it's work on the army reora ganization bill tomorrow and it is possible that some decision on uni versal training will be made at that time. As far as the reorganization of the army is concerned, the bill has been completed except for a textual review of the committee draft.
 The bill provides for standing peace army with maximum combat ant strength of 25O,O0O men and 1,70O officers. This force would be skele- ton of nine division, capable of ex- pansion in time of war, and besides including the infantry cavalry and artillery would provide personnel for the aviation, chemical warfare and tank corps.
 Private for Guard.
 The national guard, under the house bill, would remain at the pres ent authorized strength of 800 men to each congressional district, but the measure would provide .nmore leniently for the organization of militia companies. Until July 1, 1921 the necessary enlisted strength of conpa'iy for federal rccogni tion would .e fiied at 50 men, and after that da'c at 65 men. Erl'sr- ments wolli he for a period of one or thr.e years.
 To obviate the situation arising al the end of the world war when the discharge of the state troops from the regular army left the states without g militia, he bill provides that under sirailar circumstances g discharge by the federal government still leaves the guard subject to state call, unless decided tc th., con trary by state authorities.
 Aviation in the regular army, un- der the bill, would be in the charge of a major general with 15,000 off cers, ranking from the second lieu tenants to colonels, and 16,0O0 men including cadet flyers. The tank corps would be made an infantry arm, and the chemical warfare ser vice would be9a separate corps, main tained for experimental purposes comprising 90 officers and 1,500 men