New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-07-22
Harding and upon the officials of the
war department

a pact VI ldSilng Sopu WI
between the civilians who fought i
the last war and the officers and me
! of the regular army.
Mr.. Emery was wounded In the lef
arm in France, so badly wounded tina
he has comparatively little use of tn
injured member today. He regret
apparently that this physical disabll
lily prevents him from accepting a CON
mission In the reserves of the Unite'
States army.
had a talk with Commander En-
cry. lie spoke as one Legion membe
TO another. He ~epitomized the less0l
which ! think ii is the desire of tn,
American Legion officials TO see full
filled in spirit and In truth in tn
ranks of h e former soldiers.
Would Be Soldier Citizens.
lie said, I'VE were known as either
soldiers; | hope that we will be known
HOW as soldier citizens This Breathe
the spirit of the service which seem.
TO be in the hearts of the L~egionnaire.
today.
American Legion officials are inter
ested deeply In The recent Legislation
which cuts the American army to t
force of 10000 men,. Of course n,
Legion man thinks that an army Of
this size is sufficient for the needs OF
the republic, even in peace times. They
feel also that the cut reflects wha,
to the Legionnaires seems to be the
selfish feeling of the law makers
thai II war comes, and there Is not al,
adequate first line of defense force
in The regular army, the men "who
did 1t before" will instantly be will.
ing TO do ii again.
or course, as the ex-SOldlers seem
to view 1t, the men Of the Legion amt
OF other veteran organizations patriot
ically will offer their services To do il
again, but nevertheless there Is a feel.
ing that the million young men who
come 10 military age every year In this
republic, aud the vast crowd of slack
ers in the last war, might be compelled,
If unhappily war should come, to take
on a part of the first burden which.
the belief is, will be certain TO fall
under coming conditions to the lot of
the former fighters To assume
When 1t was proposed under the last
administration to maintain a regulal
army of $4,000, the proportion of H..
600 commissioned officers was fixed
as being proper. The army has beer
reduced to 10000 men, 10000 less
than the number originally contem.
plated. Now IL is said that congress
possibly may legislate "A large num-
Der of regular army officers out of
their commissions.
Fight Against Fewer Commissions.
1t can be said from first knowledge
that the War department, and this of
course means the administration. will
resist any attempt to deprive some
thousands of young Americans of their
commission in the regular army. There
are today 1900 such commissioned
officers, for the force never was
brought up to the strength contem-
plated when the proposal for an army
of 10000 men was made. Admitted
ly, however, an army of 10000 would
be oyer-cOmmanded If 1900 officers
were assigned to active duty with
the troops.
The contention Of the War DEPART
ment Is, however, that even with the
reduced number of men in the ranks
there will not be too many commits.
stoned officers if the present number,
1900, is kept at work. II Is said
there is plenty to be done by that part
of the commissioned personnel which
is not serving actively with the
A large number of officers, the au-
thorities say, must be assigned TO duty
in connection with the reserves, the
National Guard, the army schools, and
to staff work. The authorities hold
there would lie a Gripping of
the service If congress should take the
action of reduction which II has been
suggested 1t may attempt.
The War department il not slow TO
out the justice side Of the mat
The department Is borne out by
The records when il says that there
vas an appeal made by the government
If the United States to young men
enter the regular army as officers
md TO make the service their life
work. As a result hundreds upon hun
lreds of them gave owe good paying
positions in civil life and entered the
lrmy In response to the call.
Lincoln Statue Put Back.
Sentiment in Washington has CON-
the return TO its former
lite Of the statute Of Abraham
which stood In front of the
court building facing John
place. There was objection
o the statue because II was said to
inartistic. Perhaps II was, but 1t
the first statue of Lincoln which
vas put up in the capital city. and
or years was the only one. Senti-
lent lowered about II and now II
) to be put back in the place from
hitch adverse criticism caused its re-
loval.
A good many men of unquestioned
Judgment thought that the Lincoln
tatue was a fine bit of art. II stood
pom a tall, almost spindling pillar
sing to a height of % feet. The
Ill figure of Lincoln surmounted IL,
nd as someon expressed II. IT seemed
} be simply a straight line from the
ase of the pillar TO the head of its
amounting figure. However, the
atue looks like Lincoln and the pose {
the figure is true to life. and there