Evening star., 1921-12-25
THE ARMY

Referring to an official commune
cation calling attention to the COM
ment from corps area commander
relative to the examination for pro-
motion of reserve officers, the War
Department in no rosy hue pictures
the difficulties to be overcome in pro-
viding the necessary Regular Army
boards to carry out the examinations
of such officers.
Lack of funds, it is claimed. will
not permit any expense being in
Cured incident to examination OF re-
serve officers, for. according to the
department, present or prospective
appropriations placed by Congress at
the disposal of the War Department
are not sufficient to maintain the
necessary number of Regular Army
pficers to allot a proper quota to
duty with the reserve forces.
! AS portent of what may be in
store for reserve officers, the COM
mun1cation in part reads like a
prophecy, thus: THE period of eX
treme economy and absence of funds
Tor many essential purposes will be
critical period for the reserve
forces. During this time the reserve
| oonveniences .. In the organ
! ization and administration of these
units they will likewise be under
many handicaps and will encounter
! many obstacles"
In conclusion the communication
states that the War Department will
DO all in its power and may reason
ably be expected to ameliorate condi-
tions. 1t would, however. be break
ing faith with the reserve personnel
ltself We're any policies put into effect
as temporary eNpedients that would
f1cI NE
forces. 1t is believed that upon real
! iZaton OF the true conditions which
cannot be remedied by the War De-
partment, the spirit of service which
is responsible for their being reserve
officers will prove itself superior to
the 1nconveniences. handicaps and
obstacles The 1.1O0 reserve officers
In the District of Columbia and 65 900
others scattered throughout the coun-
try must await the outcome of the
present situation as regards their
promotion.
Should the present demand for ma
tionai economy continue, it is pre-
dicted by certain members of Con-
gress that the Army will be in line
ior !urther reduction in the num-
Der OF It's personnel. The cut if
erected. Will, in the opinion of one
OF the members of the House military
committee. reduce the number of en-
listed men TO 100000, with a relative
cut in the number of commissioned
oacers. 1T Is Well known by friends
OF the Army in Congress that if some
of the drastic members had their way,
the Army would be cut to $4,000 men.
/ several factors affecting the present
status Of the Regular Army cannot be
overlooked. In the matter of econ
omy there is feeling in Congress
that the War Department has not
met the national call for retrench-
ment in expense in the same spirit
as have other departments. An in
crease in popularity and growth of
the National Guard is another factor
which has It's political effect in the
present attitude of Congress. OBJ
servers of the military situation may
well be alarmed at the prospect of a
reduction in commissioned personnel
of the regular establishment, for
with lack of professional officers
provisions of the national defense
act. which charges the Regular Army
with the training of the National
Guard and organized reserves. in con-
nection with their other duties, the
problem of building up an adequate
trained force of citizen soldiery will
develop into serious situation. AS
partial remedy. Representative
John F. Miller of the House military
committee is of. the opinion that if
the War Department will show Con-
gress a disposition to Immediately
cut to the bone its overhead expenses
and make special effort to dispose of
unnecessary camps, stations and USE
less Improvements thereon through
out the country. the effect upon Con-
greSs would be magical, the result
being, he believes, that any reason
able request made by the War De-
partment for an adequate number of
personnel and for modern quarters
to properly house officers and men
would be Immediately granted by
| the Congress.
With a low annual overhead Charge
of s1.37 per member and a reserve fund
exceeding 100000. the Army Mutual
Aid Association is in a better financial
condition than at any time in its ex-
lstence. Its membership has increased
until the number is close to the 1000
! mark. The association. which pays a
benefit Of $4,000, exists solely for the
benefit of officers of the Army and their
dependents. Records show that the
! average age of its members has not
shown any material increase during the
thirty years life Of the association.
OF particular interest to a number of
officers of the Regular Army is a bill in
! troduced by Senator Wadsworth to
amend section "a of the national de-
fense act by adding thereto the follow