The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-08-05
MILITARY REGULATIONS
B Elm REVOLUT|ON|ZED
UNDER TERM Of NEW
BILL EFFECTIVE JULY |

Washington. Aug j. Americas
military establishment is being prac-
tically revolutionized under the terms
Of the new army reorganization bill
which became effective July l. Army
officers say the work will not be
completed for some months because
Of the broad scope of the measure
passed az the last session Of congress
to place the land forces on a perma-
nent peace basis.
While the regular army will con
tain only 295, 900 officers and men
scattered over the country and the
nsrlar possessions, it will be so ar.
ranged in conjunction with the Ma
tional Guard and the reserve that
rapid expansion of the nations fight
ing forces in time Of emergency will
be possible.
The National Guard will have abou'
$40, 900 Officers and men, but the
strength of the reserve has not yet
Ittl Nui hfu VuA w VIII h'll'lih 81 -
iy on the enlistment Of eligibles. The
regular army reserve as it formerly
existed, composed Of former enlisted
men furloughed to the reserve 10
complete their enlistment period ceased
to exist as such on July !. In its
place there is established the enlisted
reserve corps and the officers reserve
corps. The members OF the former,
except veterans Of the world war,
are required to enlist for three years,
Veterans of the world war may enlist
for only one year.
The officers reserve corps is com
posed Of officers who held temporary
or reserve commissions during the
war emergency and graduates of the
student officers training school
To accomplish the reorganization of
the National Guard and the initial or
ganization Of the reserve, the army
bill provides for a general commit
tee to be composed Of regular army
general staff officers and an equal
number of reserve or national guard
officers. In addition, 50 other commit.
tees, representing each state and ter
ritory will arrange the National Guard
organization in each state and terri
tory. Some Of these committees have
not been appointed by the governors
ard consequently this work has not
yet been put under way.
While TO full plan Of organization
has been made public, n tentative
plan to be placed before the commit
tees would divide the country into
nine districts, with an army corps in
each. This corps would consist Of one
regular. one guard and two reserve
divisions. so organized that in an
emergency the two reserve divisions,
which theoretically would be the only
ones mucn below war strength, could
be filled up with selective service
men. A full quota of officers drawn
from the officers reserve corps would
be available for these divisions at all
times.
The new regular army strength pro
vides for approximately 1900 com
, missioned officers. To provide this
number about 1000 reserve and tenn
porary officers have been kept on
duty and it is the plan to reach the
full officer strength by commission
ing about 1000 such officers and en-
listed men in the permanent army.
Officers and men TO be so commission
ed will be selected by a board, known
as the Pershing board, headed by
General Pershing and including six
other officers.
The bill broadens the scope OF the
reserve officers training corps at the
various educational Institutions over
the country. provides instructors and
material for the schools and also au.
thorizes summer camps to last siS
weeks for advanced training Of the
student officers. Graduates Of tho
training corps may be COMMISSIONS
in the organized reserve.
The reorganization measure further
provides that the head of the milltl-
bureau Of the war department, whicf
under the reorganization has iurisdic
ton over national guard and reserve
affairs. shall be- n National Guart
officer not below the rank Of major
who will receive the pay and allow
ances and have the rank while OF
duty of a major general In the army
The offices of second and third as
sistant secretaries Of wal are abol
ished by the measure and their duties
absorbed by the assistant secretary
Of war. who will be charged will
the procurement of AL military sup
plies and plans for the mobilization
of material and industrial establish
ments needed In time OF war.