Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-07-23
Americas Fighting
Forces Practically
Revolutionized

washington, Jul 23.-AmeflcaS
military establishment is being prac-
tically re~volutionized under the terms
of the new army reorganization bill
officers say the work will not be COM
pleted for n months because of
he broad scope Of the measure
passed at the last session of congress
to place the land forces on q perma-
men 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
tional guard and the reserve that rap
i'd expansion of the nations fighting
forces in time Of emergency will be
possible.
The national guard will have about
440, 600 officers and men, but the
strength of the reserve has not yet
been worked out and will depend
largely on the enlistment of eligibles.
The regular army. reserve as it for
merly existed, composed of former
enlisted men %furloughed to the reserve
to complete their enlistment period
ceased to exist as such on July 1. In
its place there is established the en-
listed reserve corps. The members
of the former except veterans of the
world war, are required to enlist for
three years. Veterans Of the world
war may enlist for only n rear.
The officers reserve corps is COM
posed of officers who held temporary
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
~ganization Of the reserve. the army
bill provides for a general committee
to BE composed of regular army gen.
Der of reserve or national guard III
GERS. In addition. So other commit
tees. representing each state and ter
ritory will arrange the national guard
organization in each state and terri
tory. Some of these committees have
not been appointed by the governors
and consequently this work has not
yet been put under way.
While no full plan Of organization
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
n regular, n guard and two re-
serve divisions, so organized that in
an emergency the two reserve divi-
sions. which theoretically would be
LILO OHIy OAco WuCu OciOW. Wal
strength, could be filled up with Sc
lective service men. A full quota
Of officers drawn from the officers
reserve corps would be available 70,
these divisions at all times.
The new regular army strength pro-
vides for approximately 1900 com.
missioned officers. To provide thii
number about 1890 reserve and tenn.
porary officers have been kept or
| dr1t~ or@ IL 3a tia ~lAn IN wan nh khE
full officer strength by commission.
ing about 1000 such officers and en-.
listed men in the permanent army
Officers and men to be so commission
ed will be selected by a board. known
as the Pershing board, headed BY
General Pershing and including si1
other officers.
The bill! brosdens the scope Of tn.
reserve officers training corps at thu
various educational institutions ovel
the country, provides instructors ant
material for the schools and also au.
thortzeS summer camps to last ST.
weeks for advanced training Of tn
student officers. Graduates o. thu
training corps may be commissioned
in the organised reserve.
The reorganization measure fufth.
er provides that the head d the mil
itfa bureau Of the war department
which under the Reorganization ha
Jurisdiction over national guard ant
reserve Affairs, shall be nationa
guard officer not below the rank o
major who will receive the pay and
allowances and have the rank Will,
on duty of a major general in tn,
army.
The officers OF second and third as
sistant secretaries of war are abolish
ed by the and their dutie,
absorbed by the assistant secretar,
of war, who will be charged with thu
procureme nt Of all military supplies
and plans for the mobilization Of ma
terial and industrial establishment
needed in time of war.