Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1920-11-29
Present Army an Effective.
M0oel For Emergency
He Thinks
UNIVERSAL TRAINING
United States in Conflict One Out of
Every Fnur Years He Asserts Ma
tionaI Guard and Army

Washington. Nov. 29.--The post
war reorganization Of THE army
marks . new era in the military his
/ tor cf Tie country. Secretary Baker
declares: II his annual report, made
pub!ic lo4ay, rs it provides an effec-
+;"r n;c,!,.l oa which great armies
.culd BIZ swiftly built in times of
t,ne:-e2c,.
! Reviewing the military activities
nf thr nation since 1916, Secretary
Baker says thar although the United
States was. .the most peace loving
II al. "a:;cns" il had been engaged
y maicr domestic or foreign wars
qhnrt one out Of cyerr four years
iurinr t'aa. period aEd that the mil
itary r"wpr Of the country had been
n ac:;"e use III war or military op-
ar tons q some kind about three
out of every four years.
1T Is apparent. therefore, that
while We .lo not nseS & great stand
'nr arn,y ". must live in the world
as i j wiki" we struggle 10 make it
what j. sieud h"" Nh Baker says.
W. mus. have y body of trained
nen a"@e enough in numbers 10 be
an effcrive working mode! upon
wh;:h seat armies can hr swiftly
hu;lt u event of emergency.
Il instice-loving people may be
forced h tragic necessity 70 resorts
" war 1T I has 10 right tosask its
'n"s f. ri"l,t Its battles ont armed
nd on shielded h. an adversary
In st"d@re the '"ssons of the
World War the War Department had
orocc-.et on the accepted theory
,hat tie Infantry remained tie back
''ouc 0r the army, thc report SAID,
!thcu"'' the Importance of other
.llns Of -" service had been greatly
increased ~ the swift DEVELOPMENTS
# war
',Prcrc,ind and fundamental changes
" armament were introduced and
,nanv Of the iHstrumentalities d."
,i&cd are 2nn"rrnf!y only at the bs
rnni-~-nf their Govalopment," SAYS
ne War Secretary. The infantry it
;cif i no longer the foot soldier
,rueh ni.h the nlrisket. hut the fnot
older wi9h The long raH@e, high
,ower repeating rife. the automati'
';f!c a~d the na"hire ~pn, which. IN
One of - nsr>i- aNalagnus TO light
artillery. The a'rance of tn" imam
srv i ne 'rnp"r merely covered by
rrot"rt;nr art'lerv fir. but the path
# the :9,!"ance must h~ cleared Of
distinctions and is position. once at
a;ncd. must he protected bv a''tl-
'"rv ri @rca: power and extreme
mchilitv."
NJ R.kAr makcs no comment OF
mivc,al military training, \ p!aa
elected h" congress IN enacting the
new Army Ecoreanizat;on bill. hut III
! ..v:cv;:nr h provisions Of The rev
v:!:tpry law. ha -4y. that on. of tho
.,ost :,.,no~sart features Of the leg
slat;on i he provision for colt
tant ar1 systematic relationship
| ,e:wrea he Ea.:ona! Guard and the
2eonar ARM"
Tbs precision. Air. Baker declares,
N.
isms which have in the past been
| ne not urnatural hut nevertheless
! rnhAnny characteristic of the rela-
ion$h;p< Of the. two forces
I'll. army is essentially new
army" Mr.. Baker continues, not
| merely another army than that ;rh;ch
| oyistei prior 70 the war. but new IN
| : attitude toward the corntrv and
Ehe cnlntrv'$ attitude 'owar! i. The
| oxtcnt 10 which = rev ~ has dawn
ii for the armv IS shown hi recruit
| :nr. The difficulty IN Sg-uring n.
aeccSsary enl;stmcrts for our small
| nrc-war army has. in a large part
disappeared, anG although the slim
u:us of active operations has now
entirely disappeared the total
.trenrth of the army November 3,
1920, was l3,c67."
Mr.. Baker declares that the Gre
year enlistment period authorized b.
Congress mas 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"
Continued on Page Six)