The Washington herald., 1921-01-07
Army Officers Warn
Harding He Must Cut
Waste.
WADSWORTH WAR
SECRETARY, HINT
President-elect Wishes
For Businesslike
Administration.
BY W. b. MHeNAMEE.

MARION, Ohio, Jan. 6-Oficers of
the American Expeditionary Forces
today communicated to President
elect Harding their views Of how the
United States can establish a large
army reserve without resorting 20
universal military service. -
The delegation Of former officers
was composed Of Li9ut-CoI Noble
B. Judah, Rainbow Division; Col.
HOatiO Z. Hackett, Thirty-Third Di-
vision; Lieut.-Col. Tom S. Hammond.
Rainbow Division; Col Henry ].
Reilly, former commander Of eighty
third infantry. all Of Chicago. and
Lleut-COl. Karl klemm. Of Kansas
City, Thirty-fourth Division.
While holding the view that com
pulsory universal service was thh
best means OF maintaing large
trained reserves. the officers told
Senator Harding that BY reducing
the period OF enlistment in the reg
ular army TO one year-a weII-trzin-
ed reserve would be established.
Even with the skeleLpnized force Of
10000 men. proposed as the size
or the army by Republican leaders
in Congress, a l2-month enlistment
period would create a yearly turn
over which within four years would
create a reserve OF half a million
men, the army officers said.
Urge More EmcIeBcy.
The delegation urged upon the
President-elect the necessity Of more
eHiclent administration. claiming
that the huge overhead expenses
were eating up a large part Of the
present appropriations for the mill
tary branch. Under III. present -.
ministrstion, they said. there is one
/ tcivilian clerk for every two soldier,
IN the army, receiving from three
to tve times the pay Of soldier.
/ Senator Harding made IL Mai,
!, that the new standardization would.
make a equine attempt 70 reduc,
army overhead expenses, and van.
insisting upon economy. and prob-
ably reducing tn size OF the stsnJ-
ing army 10 10000. would not cut
appropriations that would strike a
the efficiency Of the service
Inc President-eleCt also declared
10 the army men that while he UaS
In favor Of international restrtctfoD
/ Ct armsments. both military and
naval, the millennium had NOT b..e1
reached" and the policy Of the in
coming administration would he %
preserve and strengthen both
branches OF the service.
For BusinessIIke Secretary.
An important point in the dis
Cussion OF military matters. il vas
/ learned, was the naming Of So
'eIafy OF War who would put into
enect more businessIike admipfS-
tration Of the army.
senator Harding strongly int
mated that he might appoint 10 m.
post Senator James W. wadswortb
OF New York. '''
4 would like t. appoint Sem
/ ator Wadsworth. Il I could Get bi1,
10 accept was the President-eIectfs
/ declaration.
! senator Wadsworth for wears has
/ been q member OF the Military A.
/ lalrs Committee OF the Senate ap5
| mas been active in advancing an
| legislation tending to Strengthen
the military arm. The New yorE
( senator conferred with the pres
loent-elect here two weeks ago hut
al the time declined TO discuss nos
siole Cabinet appointments
senator Lawrence Y. Sherman. Of
Illinois, one OF the irreconcfI.bIe
opponents OF the Versailles treaty
conferred with the Presidcnt-eIect
today on questions Of foreign mol
ICY FolloWin" his interview. the
Illinois Senator expressed approval
OF the association OF nations plans
formulated by the Presidcnt-elecI
Against SuPerEovernneut
Senator Harding has in mins
the establishment OF an association
OF nauonT. quite independent Of
the estaolishme mt which was sought
TO be created at Versailles. and
which would set up no supergovern-
ment, but which would retain to
every nation the full measure Of
its proper and individual SOW
ereignty," said Senator Sherman.
Another caller on the President
elect to-day was former Senator Al
bert !. Bcveridge, OF Indiana. one
Of the organizers OF the Progress
siVe party in 1912 Beveridge had
a short discussion with Senator
Harding regarding the interns tionHl
policy Of the new administration.
He declined TO confirm rumor
4 that hc would run for the Senate
against Ssnator Harry s. New when
the lgtt'r's term expires in 1922.