The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1920-07-24
NEW ARMY PLAN
PROVIDES WAYS
OF EXPANSION
Will RevOlutiOniZe the Military
Methods in America, Accord.
ing to Experts
GUARD is STRONG FACTOR
Bill Br0adens Scope of Reserve
Officers Training Corps at
Universities

Washington, July 24.-America's
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 becaus.
of the broad scope of the measure
passed at the last session Of congress
to place the land forces on a perna
nenr peace basis.
While the regular army will con-
tain only 295,0OO officers and men
scattered over the country and the
insular possessions, it will be so ar
ranged IN conjunction with the Ma
yional Guard and the Reserve that
rapid expansion of the nations fight
ing forces in time Of emergency will
be possible. y
National Guard Strength.
The National Guard will have about
100000 officers and men, but the
strength of the reserve has not yet
oeen worked out and will depend
largely on the enlistment Of eligibles.
The regular army reserve as it form
erly existed, composed of former en-
listed men furloughed to the reserve
20 complete their enlistment period
ceased to exist as such on July l. In
its place there is established the EN-,
listed 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.
Reserve Plans. .
TO accomplish the reorganization of
the National Guard and the initial or
ganization Of the reserve, the army
bill provides for a general committee
to be composed of regular army gen
eral staff officers and an equal num-
Der of reserve or national guard Of
ficers. In addition, So other commit
tees, representing each state and ter
ritory Will arrange the National
Guard organization in each state and
territory. Some Of these committees
have not been appointed by the gov
ernors and consequently this work has
not yet been put under way.
While no full plan of organization
has been made public, a tentative
plan to be placed before the commit
tees would divide the country into
nine dntricts 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 much below war strength, could
I he filled up with selective service
men. A full quota Of officers drawn
.uln the oA4lcers' reserve corps Wouid
be available for these divisions at all
times.
1900 Officers.
The new regular army strength pro-
vides for approximately l7,Oo0 com
missioned officers. To provide this
number about 1000 reserve and tenn
norarv officers have been kept on
duty ana IL is Illc pan w A>''.
full officer strength by commission
ing about 1000 such officers and en-
listed men in the permanent army.
Officers and men to be so commls-
stoned will be selected by a board,
known as the Pershing board, headed
by General Pershing and including SIX
other officers. H.,
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 SIX
weeks for advanced training OF the
student officers. Graduates of the
training corps may be commissioned
in the organized reserve.
( Abolish Two Offices.
The reorganization measure fur
ther provides that the head OF the
militia bureau Of the War Depart
ment, which under the reorganization
has jurisdiction over national guard
and reserve affairs, shall be nation
(Continued. Page Three'