The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-12


of raising an army in time of war that it
can be said that the country is to-day COM
mitted to the policy Of the selective draft
Compulsory Military Service Is
Now One of Our Unwritten Laws
This fact entered into the present plan OF
national defence and while Congress unfor
tunately failed at the eleventh hour to
enact law providing that Immediately upon
a declaration Of war selective CONSUMPTION
should become operative. yet 1t Is apparent
that this method will be followed in ex-
banding the present army to war strength
and completing the initial mobilization con-
templated by the act of June 4, 1920. Indeed,
II is not going too far to say that COM
pulsory military service in time of war" is
now one of the unwritten laws of our land
and necessarily enters into all plans and
policies having to do with the defence of
the nation.
In section 8 of the act Of June is another
important provision for in this section Con-
gress has provided that the organized peace
establishment of the army shall include all
of those divisions and other military organ
iZatons necessary to form the basis for a
complete and immediate mobilization for the
national defence in the event of a national
emergency declared by Congress-" Here is
another forward step, a distinct advance
toward definite military policy. At last we
are getting away from expediency to a
comprehensive and settled plan of organiza-
ton. Here we have at last framework of
a complete army organization capable of
expansion in time of war to an effective
fighting force.
The task of perfecting the organization OF
the new army of the United States has de-
volved upon the War Department General
STAFF. 1t is until only comparatively re-
Gently that we have had General Staff.
Here again for over a century we failed to
take the advice of Washington, for he said
that a General Staff was "all important to
the we'll being of an army and essential con-
sequently to it's Commander in Chief" 1t
was not until 1908, upon recommendation Of
Secretary of War Elihu Root. that the Cen
eral STAFF Corps was created
The Country Has Been Divided Into
Nine Corps Areas to Function as in War
One Of the duties devolvng upon the
General Staff by the act of June 4, 1920,
wait the preparation of plans for the
mobilization OF the manhood of the nation"
in the event of an emergency. The plans
of the General staff contemplate the mobili-
cation of a force that will meet the re-
quirements of the approved man power
curve" at the end of sixty days in war
involving maximum effort. This force Will
permit of the organization of field armies
with necessary auxiliary and special troops
and requirements. In a war of any magni-
tude addition echelons similarly organized
will be developed
For purposes OF administration, training
and tactical control the continental area OF
the United States has been divided into nine
corps areas as shown by the map. These
corps areas are to be organized to function
as such in time of war as we'll as In time
of peace. Each corps area VIII contain
normally all elements of one or more army
corps complete in all details and in certain
cases army troops and troops for special SER
vices. Each corps area will maintain train
ing centre which shall include organizations
and personnel sufficient to provide all ele-
ments necessary to procure and train re-
cruits and requirements, to establish ana
maintain all training camps and to carry
on such other activities as the corps area
commander may direct.
There has always been more or less com
plant about an alleged overaoundance OF
red tape at Washington and 1t can readily
be seen how much of this so-called red tape
or paper work at the War Department can
be eliminated by the establishment of these
various corps areas and having them func-
ton as administrative units. For purposes
Of inspection of maneuvres and of plans
Of war the nine corps areas are grouped
into three army areas, which are also shown
on the map. When considered desirable,
army area commanders and stats may be
assigned to these army areas.
For the required initial mobilization it Is
planned to have I'm each corps area one
infantry division of the Regular Army, two