Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1921-07-27
State Of WAR IS
FORMALLY ENDED
KNOB RESOLUTION is CHANGED
so THAT THE DECLARATION
OF WAR ISN'T REPEALED.
HARDING SIGNS ARMY BILL
Land Forces Now Must Be Cut Down
TO 10000 by October by Arbitrary
Diseharoes-Many "Non-coms" to
Lose cheVrons.
BY EDWARD q. CLARK.

Nhshlngton.-fln ally the senate ana
the house have agreed TO compromise
on the Knox resolution declaring peace
with Germany, and the resolution is.
at this writing. just about 10 be signed
by the President. Therefore war with
Germany comes TO an end legally.
when as n matter of fact Il came TO
an end nearly three years ago.
Another legislative event which IN a
way has TO do with war, or with prep
aration or lack Of preparation for II,
Is the signing OF the army bill by the
President. The regular army Of the
United States Is 10 be cut TO 10000
men.
IL Is said that the president signed
this last measure with extreme reluc-
lance. II he had not signed II, IL would
have been necessary 10 pass the army
appropriation bill again, and during
the time that II would take TO pass IL
In the form which the President could
approve. the service would be without
money 10 run II. II Is understood that
President Harding hopes legislation will
be enacted quickly which viii save
some OF the situations which have
been produced by the great decrease
I'm the enlisted personnel of the land
forces OF the country.
II can be said that while the sec
rotary Of war and the army authorities
generally are totally opposed 10 the
great reduction In the size Of the
army, the decrease is not their sole
concern. Sentiment and sympathy en-
ter into the matter. BY October l the
army must be cut down to the figures
given. This means that thousands of
men who entered the army willing 10
serve their country must be discharged
by arbitrary means and forced back
into the civil life to try TO find en-
ployment.
"Non-coms Must Suffer.
Another matter which is OF high
concern TO the service generally is the
fact that the cut In the army means
that hundreds upon hundreds OF men
who have risen to nOn-commissioned
rank by attention to duty and by ex-
their chevrons and become 2rivates
again.
Army officers say that good non
commissioned officers are Just as es-
sential as good commissioned officers
and that the men who worked hard 10
get their chevrons, although they may
be retained In the service as privates.
will be 50 discouraged by their loss OF
rank that they viii either 90 into
civil life as soon as their enlistments
expire. or viii ask TO be included In
the lists OF the men who are almost
at once 10 be arbitrarily discharged.
Returning 90 the agreement for
peace with Germany, there Is some
amusement In Washington because
both houses Of congress claim a vic
tory I'm the compromise which has
been effected. Senator Knox, who orig
mated the resolution for peace, de-
clares that he Is entirely satisfied, and
lnfinates that the house has surren-
dersd 20 HIS view of the case. The
house. on the other hand. says that
the senate has accepted the house
amendments which make radical
changes in the original senate PROPOSE
ton. and that the victory is a house
victory.
War Act Not Repealed.
The main thing Is that the house
succeeded In changing the Knox reso-
luton so that instead OF repeating the
congressional act declaring that war
existed with Germany, the resolution
simply puts an end 20 the war. II Is
held by the ex-soldiers Of the country
that 10 repeal the war resolution would
be construed I'm a way as meaning
that the United States was sorry that
Il had declared war.
This view Of the case was taken by
the house OF representatives. and II
succeeded in changing the Knox docu-
ment so that the war simply is de-
clared 70 be az an end. II Is a puzzle
20 some people I'm Washington 10 know
why the Pennsylvania senator desired
the repeal.
One section of the resolution is In
tended 10 cover cases Of deserters from
inc Ahatth eAutto army WIZ hAAt
found refuge In other countries. or
course. the case Of Grover Cleveland
Bergdoll. now IN Germany, from which
vantage point he has been sneering NJ
the American authorities. was the
moving reason for the Insertion OF this
provision.
The specific paragraph which covers
a. a q. a.
Ing contained In the resolution shall
be construed nor be effective ito ter
inmate the military status Of any per-
son now I'm desertion from the mill
tary or naval service of thu United
States, nor TO terminate tr inability
70 prosecution and punishment Under
the selective service law, approved
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