The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-11-29
:BAKER SEES NEW ERA IN THE
!: UNITED STATES MILITARY HISTORY

H~ WASHINGTON, Nov. 2S.--Thc postwar
REORGANIZATION OF the army marks new
era in the military history or thc "oun
try, Secretary Baker declares in his an
= hual report, made public to-day. as II
provides an effective model on which
great armies could be swiftly built III
atirnes OF emergency.
So Reviewing he military activities OF
'She nation since .lT76. Secretary Baker
SAYS that although the United States
E&as the most peaCe-lOving OF all ma
sSions" it had been engaged IN major do
smeStic 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 m!il-
f. Iary operations Of some Kind about
IhFre out OF every four years.
., "It Is apparent. therefore. that while
sMS do not need great standing army
~e must live in the world as II IS while
ave struggle to make II what It should
be-" Mr.. Baker says. We must have "a
. body of trained men large enough IN
numbers to be an effective working
model upon which great armies can be
swiftly built in event Of emergency.
a justice loving people may hc iorSci
BY tragic necessity 70 resort 10 war: out
u has no right TO ask is sons 10 tiSht
It's battles outarmed and outshie!dcd by
An adversary.
80 In studying the lessorts Of the worIc
saou the accepted thsory that the infantry
j. remained the backbone Of the army. the
u report said, although the Importance Of
:. other arms OF she service had been
. greatly increased BY the swift develop
ments Of war
profound and fundamental changes
/. in armament were introduced and many
\ OF the inStrumentalitteS devised ore APP
! parently only at the beginning OF their
& development" said the war secretary.
sGThe infantry itself is no longer u"
: fQot-soldier armed with the musket but
The foot-soldicr with the long-ranEe'
shigh-power repeating rifle. the 2utonat-
sAc-rffle and the machine gun. when. IN
= some of it's uses is analogous Z" ltSnt
. artillery. The advance OF the infantry
: Is. no longer merely covered by pr"tec,
ing artillery fire but the path "t me al
4 vance must be cleared OF obstructionS
= and its position, once attained. must n"
I projected by artillery of great power
aand extreme mobility.
n. Mr.. Baker makes no comment on uci,
yersal military training, a plan rejected
: by congress In enacttnS tho new army
Z REORGANIZATION bill. but in reviewing
ME provisions OF the new mil tary law
sfeatures Of the legislation. Is tn" pro
vision for constant and systematic
dictatorship between the National guard
and the regular army.
ss This provision, Mr.. Baker declares
viii do much to prevent antagonisins
4 sxhich have in the past been the not un'
natural but nevertheless unhappy char
,uoteristic OF the relationships OF the two
: forces" .
Mr.. Baker continues. not merely an.
Gther army than that which existed
jrior 10 the war. but new in its attitude
toward the country and the country
'&ttItude toward II. The extent TO which
y new era has dawned for the army Is
shown BY recruiting. The difficulty In
Recurring the necessary enliStmentS Tor
bur small pre-war army has in large
apart disappeared and although the slim
. mus OF active operations has now en-
stirely disappeared the total strength
pe the artny November 3. 1920. was
a. Mir. Baker declares that the one-year