The Washington herald., 1920-11-21
Universal System Neces.
sary ifNation Is Prepared
For Emergency"
REVIEWS YEARS WORK
Soldiers in Germany Praised
And Border Conditions
Are Explained.


sive universal military training sys
tenn to perfect a force fit for serv-
ice in time of emergency are made
In the annual report of Gen. Peyton
c. March. Chief of STAFF of the Army
which was made public yesterday
IAN adequate reserve of trained
soldiers, available for use in an
emergency, is the essential prere-
quisite to any effective plan for
national refense," he said, "ahd the
creation and maintenance of such a
reserve without universal training
is impossible"
The General Staff is engaged In
the preparation of plans contained
in the army Reorganization bill
passed last June for the creation OF
a trained reserve. the report states
Gen March reviews the work OF
the army during the year ended
June 80. and discusses in detail the
operations of each branch of the
service. The strength of the army
on June 80 is given in the report as
being 1888 officers and 194,37S
men, a total of 209,s01.
Location of U. s. Soldiers.
OF this number there We're 1885,
sos in the United States: 1885 in
the PHILIPPINES; 5.135 in Hawaii; A.
772 in Panama; 1.343 in China; SIS
in Alaska: 1892 in Porto Rico; :
officers and men in Siberia and
1.5O4 at sea. The number in the
army of occupation in Germany was
sos officers and 16,642 men.
The number of patients in hos
pitfalls had been reduced from 2S,697
in July, 1919, to approximately 5000
in June. this year.
OF the army of occupation in
b. Germany, Gen. March speaks in
highest terms. He compliments
Generals Dickman. Liggett and AL
len. who commanded in turn and
have met the situation with firm
ness, and with justice to the peo-
pie Of the occupied area" The tact.
dignity and courtesy of the Ameri-
can commanders towards the co-bel-
ligerents have been generally ap-
preciated. the report says.
The entire cost of maintaining g
the army Of occupation is borne by
Germany. the total up 10 June 20
having been s2s7,065.0S4.35. The
amount owed the United States by
the German government at the end
of June was s222,340, ,425.57.
Border Protection Necessary.
The situation on the Mexican bor-
der is dealt with briefly in the re-
port. it being stated that the me
essity for protecting our southern
border has continued during the
year" The duties performed in
cluded patrollipg the border to pre-
vent bandits from crossing the in
ternational line and from making
raids into the United States and
committing depredations against
the lives and property of United
States citizens.
while it was not practicable to
maintain a continuous guard along
the entire border" the report says,
"the border troops were distributed
in SUCH a way that Information con-
cerning raids might be acted upon
with sufficient promptness to min
imize the dangers therefrom- The
necessarily wide distribution of the
border patrol and the entire absence
of Mexican guards along wide
stretches of the frontier. especially
in the rough and sparsely settled
frontier country, rendered especial
Y difficult the furnishing of adequate
protection to orr citizens and ne
cessitated constant patrolling."
The educational work of the army
has been devoted to the purpose OF
devising a system of co-ordinated
general education and vocational
training that will fit men for ef-
fectiye military service and for
success in civil life. IL is stated
ingly designed to serve a two-fold
purpose ID, to train technicians
and mechanics to meet the army's
needs and to raise the soldiers gen.
eral intelligence in order to increase
his military efficiency: (2), to At the
soldier for definite occupation
upon his return to civil life. Ed
ucational training. except for illit-
crates, has been vofaptary, but
students once enrolled hsye been
compelled to finish the course UNDER
taken.
:7.202 I'm Vocational Glasses
The report shows that of the total
enlisted strength of 22S,s63 on April
80, of this year, there were 1922 In
the educational classes and 27,262 In
the vocational classes: the aggre-
cational and vocational training
was S6.2se.
High praise is bestowed in the
report on the women's service un-
der the direction of the section OF
women's relations. which was es-
tablished March IL of this year.
Describing the work of the post
exchanges, Gen. March points out
that the financial statements of 2Ss
exchanges show total resources OF
s4.552.95&19. of which cash on hand
a-1ounts to s1,51O,41s. Dividends
paid amounted to s93.710, and the
gross sales were s1.322.s0o.
The training of Junior units In
the public high schools has been
carried on in forty-six cities, the
report states. The enrolment in
these units is 27.605.
The report explains that most of
the duties of the Military Intelli-
gence branch of the army have been
abandoned. the necessity for this
work having ceased. The work of
the foreign influence. enemy propa-
ganda section. however. is being
continued, the duty Of the section
being the study Of propaganda and