Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-12-02
BAKER BELIEVES STRONG
ARMY is NECESSARY

Washington. Nov. 30.-The postwar re-
organization Of the army marks a new
era in the military history of the country.
Secretary Baker declares In his annual
report just made public. as It provides
an effective model on which great ar
mics could be swiftly built in times of
emergency.
Reviewing the military activities Of the
nation since 1T6 Secretary Baker says
that. although the United States was
1.-The most peace-loving Of all nations"
1t had been engaged in major domestic
or foreign wars about one out of every
four years during that period and that
the military power Of the country had
been In active use In war or military
operations OF some kind about three out
of every four years.
ut is apparent. therefore. that while
we do not need a great standing army
we must live in the world as II Is while
We struggle to make It what It should
be-" Mr.. Baker says. I'VE must have
a body Of trained men large enough In
numbers to be an effective working mod
ell upon which great armies can be swift
~ hui in event of emergency.
"A justice-loving people may be forced
by tragic necessity to resort to war. but
it has no right to ask It's sons to fight
It's battles outarmed and outshielded by
an adversary"
In studying the lessons OF the World
War the war department had proceeded
on the accepted theory that the infantry
remained the backbone Of the army. the
report said although the importance Of
other arms of the service had been great
" increased by the swift developments
of war.
profound and fundamental changes In
armament were introduced and many Of
the instrumentalities devised are appar-
emily only at the beginning of their de-
velopment." said the war secretary. The
infantry itself is no longer the foot-sol-
der with the long-range, high-power re-
peating rifle, the automatic rife and the
machine gun. which, in some of its uses.
is analogous to light artillery. The adj
vance Of the infantry is no longer mere
ly covered by protecting artillery fire.
but the path of the advance must be
cleared of Instructions and Its position.
once attained. must be protected by ar
tillery of great power and extreme mo-
blity."
Mr. Baker makes no comment on uni
versal military training, plan rejected
by Congress in enactng the new army
reorganization bill. but in reviewing the
provisions of the proposed military law
he says that one of the most important
features of the legislation is the provis-
ion for constant and systematic re-
lationship between the National Guard
and the regular army
This provision. Mr.. Baker declares. will
do much to prevent antagonisms which
have in the past been the not unnatural
but nevertheless unhappy characteristic
of the relationships Of the two forces
THE army Is essentially a new army"
Mr. Baker continues, mot merely an
other army than that which existed prior
to the war. but new In its attitude toward
the country and the country's attitude
toward it. The extent to which new
era has dawned for the army Is shown
by re ruiting. The difficulty in securing
the necessary enlistments for our small
pre-war army has in large part disap-
peared, and although the stimulus OF
active operations has now entirely dis
appeared the total strength OF the army
November 3, 1920, was 2ls,os7.''
Mr. Baker declares that the one-year
enlistment period authorised by Congress
has not justified itself and asserts that
from the point OF view Of the efficiency
of the army one-year enlistment periods
are of little value"