The New York herald., 1921-09-29
JAPAN'S ARMY PLANS
EVEN OUTSTRIP NAVAL

CoaftsteG from First Page.
and Count Yasuya Uchida, Minister of
Foreign Affairs confers with his High
ness it is invariably in the presence
OF the General Staff, who, as said,
takes orders only from the Genro.
Pretty nearly every we'll informed
man in Japan knows that 1t IS within
the power of the General staff to
bring about the fan OF a Cabinet. The
process ia admirably simple. The
General STAFF directs the Minister Of
War to resign. The Premier. who is
limited as to choice in the selection OF
a successor, tenders the vacant port
folio to one Of the half dozen Mar
shals, Generals or Lieutenant-Ge
erals OF the army. He is met with
polite refusals and is finally compelled
TO admit his inability to complete his
Cabinet. Such an admission in Japan
is tantamount TO withdrawal from
public life. and some other Premier
more susceptible to the dictaion OF
the Genro and the General Staff is put
in his place.
There can be no question but that
the Japanese army has been and Is
maintained at a high degree of eff
cheney. 1t is probably the best dis
ciplined and equipped army in the
world. IL recognizes but one author
ity, the General staff. which is COM
posed of the keenest observers OF
military developments throughout the
world. Even now the technical men
in the General Staff are working out
plan to bring about a thorough re-
modelling of the army. based upon the
lessons learned in the world war. The
extent of these plans is most care
fully guarded.
Even the numerical strength of the
land forces is shrouded in more or
less mystery. The peace strength is
given as 2T2.731. OF whom 1S,o45 are
officers. 2s,S69 non-ccmmissioned OFF,
sers and 22S,317 privates. These fig
ures, however, are believed to be in
complete in that they do not include
the units attached 10 Colonial and
other Government undertakings In
Shantung, Corea. Manchuria. siberia
and Saghalien. The most definite es-
innate of the total peace strength"
of the Japanese army is around Goo,-
600, with a sufficient number Of re-
serves available FOR war services
within a few months approximating
I 1.500, ,00o. and with a further reserve
susceptible Of preparation within eight
months OF 100000 additional.
Or the regular establishment. there
are in round numbers 10000 troops
in Korea. 25,e0o in Siberia. 10000 In
Mancnurla. 5000 In north Saghalien,
5000 il Shantung and 5000 in For
rnosa. besides those scattered around
distant Islands owned by Japan and in
those mandated TO II under the author
ity of the Versailles treaty.
New Defence Programme.
The new national defence" pro-
gran,mc authorized by the Diet blouse
Of Representatives) in 1918 granted
authority to the army to make a thor
ough revision In its organization.
Among other things 1t directed the
creation of two new divisions, each
aoproximating $4,000 men. The i'm
portant change decided on was to re-
organize the divisions on the three
regiment basis and to abolish the
brigade.
ASA result of this change an army
corps now consists of two divisions.
totalling six regiments. Excluding the
guards division, the Japanese army
within a year will have twenty-four
divisions, which reorganized on the
three regiment basis, will form thirty
two divisions, or sixteen army corps.
Provision is also made for mountain
and field batteries, each of three units
and four guns. and the expansion OF
cavalry, commissariat. engineering.
communications, automobile and an
aviation corps, which, it is predicted,
will surpass those in both numbers and
equipment contemplated by Great
Britain and the United States.
The General Staff is credited with
even more ambitious plans for the ar
tillery branch of the service than are
provided by the budget for the pres
ert year. which represents II per cent.
OF the total appropriations of 1,6oo.-
600 900 yen. or about $800,000.00o
Among these features, which are
known TO the military observers OF
other Governments stationed at Toxic
Is to provide 100000 bayonets (men)
in the artillery branch.
The division OF the japanese army