New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-25
Perslling Will
Fully Develop
NatiOnalGllard
War Secretary Weeks Sends
Chief of Staff Presidents
Interpretation of Act for
Reorganization of Army
Work to Begin at Once
Reserves Also Will Be Put
Into Effective Form by
Officers of Regulars"
Tron. rae T'rso.ms's woshsnsfo~ Bureau

From yhe 1ftouNs'S washington 6aFear
WASHINGTON. July t. The i'm
mediate development of the National
Guard and organized reserves to such
size as to make it capable of rein
forcing the regular army in a national
emergency is to be begun at once by
General John ]. Pershing, chief of
staff, in compliance with directions
issued by Secretary of War Weeks.
In a memorandum addressed to the
chief of staff Secretary Weeks give
President Harding's Interpretation of
the act of June 4, 1920, in which Con-
gress provided for .peace-tlme or
: ganization for national defense, and
directs that the military policy thus
disclosed shall be carried out.
The army reorganization act Of
June 4, Secretary Weeks memoran-
dun declares, provides for an army
which shall include the regular army,
the National Guard when In the serv-
ice of the United States and the or
ganized reserves, composed OF the OF
fcers' reserve corps and the enlisted
reserve corps.
Weeks Gives Details
can examination of the statute" Sec
xetary Weeks said to-day. shows that
the new law is based on the idea that
in the future, as in the past, great wars
are to be fought in the main by armies
composed of citizen soldiers temporar-
ily drawn into active military service.
We still have the conception of small
regular army in time of peace, rein
forced upon the outbreak Of war by
such additional citizen forces as the
particular emergency may require.
This is our traditional mode of mill
tary expansion, and this method Is
clearly contemplated in the act OF Con-
gress.
an other words, the war force re-
ouiied for immediate mobilization IN
the event of emergency is to be consel-
tuted in time of peace and filled as Tar
as practicable through the enrolment
or enlistment of qualified volunteers.
Under such system it Is reasonable to
expect that the units of the National
Guard will be maintained at sufficient
strength to be effective as first rein
forcement for the regular army. and
that the units of the organized reserves
will at least include corps of oticers,
non-commissioned officers and special
lists, organized and trained to receive
and train the recruits required In an
emergency demanding large forces.
supply Oh OlHNcIS
cit is with the requirements Of this
larger war establishment in view that
the peace organization of the regular
army must be determined. The law
provides limited number of regular
enlisted men and number of regular
officers in excess of the number re-
CURED for service with the regular
army proper. This provision shows
clearly the intent of Congress that
some of the officers authorized are to
be employed in the organization, ad-
National Guard, the organized re-
serves, the reserve officers training
corps end the citizens training camps.
sit is the Presidents desire that the
regular army shall be so organized as
to carry out this intent of Congress to
the fullest extent. The regular army
should, therefore, be formed in a
limited number. of organizations, eacn
at effective military strength, with the
view of releasing the maximum num-
Der of officers and enlisted men for
service with these other branches of
the army of the United States.
AS the regular army now contains
more regiments and other units than
can be maintained at effective strength
with the authorized enlisted personnel,
you are directed to retain suitable
number of units at an enlisted strength
effective for immedia military serv-
ice and to place the units thus rem
dered surplus out of commission un-
til such time as Congress shall au-
thorize an increase in the enlisted
strength of the regular army.
Full Training Desired
"You will assign to the organiza-
tions retained Sin commission a suffi-
Gent number of officers to make them
effective for immediate military -serv-
ice, leaving officers not required for
service with regular organizations OF
otherwise to be employed, under your
direction, in the development of the
National Guard the organized re-
serves and the reserve officers train
ing corps. AS the law provides for q
military expansion by reinforcement
citizen forces, the President directs
that these forces shall be developed tt
the fullest extent and that the maxi.
mum practicable number of carefully
selected officers of the regular army
be employed for that purpose. The re.
tention in the regular army of skele.
tonized military units ineffective TO,
immediate military service is not
deemed advisable.
THE organization of the regular
army into limited number of effective
military units will not only release 8
greater proportion of officers for duty
with other portions of the army of the
United States, but will facilitate greal
economies in the maintenance of the
peace establishment. SO far as prac.
ticable it is my desire that the regular
army should be CHARTERED in perma.
nent military posts where suitable
sheiter Tor officers and men is now
provided. This will reduce the mum.
Der of occupied war time environments
to minimum and will avoid the ne.
cessity of expanding large sums TO,
tnelr maintenance or renewal"