The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-02-24
Seek to ForestalI
Action on Universal
Military Training

Washington. Feb. IS Another Eff
fort was started by Republican Iced
crs In yhe house today ~ torstaii &C
ton a this time On the question OF
universal military training.
Floor T.eader Mondell and mem oers
oi the stecring committee are now
! seeking To- prevent the training adj
yocates on the Military Affairs corn
nittre from forcing the issue by in
Guiding in the forthcoming army re-
organization bin "A provision for the
establishment of this policy.
The new plan which is said TO be
/ based on poIiticsl expediency, was the
subject of a number of informal con-
fercnces on the floor Of the house and
in the cloak rooms. The party lead
er4 called aside frs; a supporter and
then an opponent on the committee in
an attempt 20 effect some sort of an
-tf.rtctreettt to +,a@ 34'!t- nf the bill n
7traiEhuut training provision.
The leaders do not regard the action
0f the committee last Friday as neceS-
garily compelling that the issue be
brought out on the floor in the army
rcorga uiXa ucn bill. The committee
vote Of II to q in favor OF a training
section. ihcy contend, merely COM
mitred the committee to such a pol
lcy.
While The training advocates refute
his contention with the claim that the
vote was on the question of whether
or not training section SHOULD be
written into ghe nH, they are not
averse to q compromise. provided
they can name the terms.
substitute section providing for a
congressional commission 10 study the
subject and make recomm endations
at the opening of the regular session.
December s. ia urged by Mr.. Mon
dell. and the steering committee.
The training supporters. however.
are insisting that any agreement which
may be entered into providing for a
retirement of the issue must contain
definite pledge on the part Of the
leaders and the majority members Of
the rules committee 70 grant 81 rule for
consideration OF 4 separate training
but later on in the present session.
The matter sul was undecided to-
night. bat IL was said that an agree
n1ent probably Will he reached tomor-
row, The program OF the steering
committee is to have the army reor-
IA nization bill reported out Wednes-
day and taken up imm ediately fol-
fawfnE the legislation. executive and
judicial bill now under considera ton.
II this program Is carried out, IL
will he virtually impossible to incor
tffi tAt' a ~ "a MINE NA'lf 4it wv ptJ'f
The subcommittre TO which was as
signed the task q writing the training
legislation has done nothing and no
meeting has bcen called,
The full committee started today,
however, to put the finishing touches
IN the reogEa nization bill. All Of the
important provisions have been ten
tsticei v agreed 20 except military
raining, and only few perfunctory
49, Il u T.,
and there.
ARMY OF 100000.
The measure as agreed to provides
for a regular array of q maximum
combatant strength Of ESQ 900 enlisted
men and 1900 officers This per
sonnet will form the shelton of nine
| infantry divisions one cavalry division
and Complementary artillery, which
according 10 the table Of organiza
should BE- used for this number OF
regiments
The aviation branch vii have / 500
Lofficers ranking from eolpnels down
10 second lieutenants and lex en-
! listed men Including flying cadets
I Fifty eAisted men will be the max
| mum strength Of each national guard
| company until Jaiy /, 1871, after
| which date il will be raised to 65
! Compa MES will have to obtain this
| strength before obtaining FEDERAL rec
ognition.
The bin VIII also carry provision
designed to avoid a repetition Of the
! difficulty which has arisen in the
national guard since the war. At the
/ entrance OF the United States into the
war the guardsmen We're drafted into
! the regular army and following the
trmjstice they were discharged. which
| left the states without military forces
! The new law will provide that in the
! future disc harges from the regular
army will not relieve the guardsmer
! from state service but the matter ot
complete discharge will be made op.
| tiOnal with the states.