Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-04-15
HABORD FAVORS
STANDING ARMY
Of 10000 MEN
Deputy Chief of Staff Says
the Tasks Set for 1t BY
Law Cannot Be Accom-
pIiShed With Less.
CBy The Associated PressJ

Washington April 1.-THE reg
ular army cannot accomplish the
task set for it by law with per-
sonnet of less than 10000. Mai
Gen. j. G. Hartford. deputy chief
of staff declared today before the
senate appropriations committee in
connection with its consideration of
the pending army appropriation
bill. Attempt to carry out the work
laid down for the war department
with less than 10000 men. he
said, would mean that something
must give way"
There is a minimum limit be-
low which you cannot go with
safety" General Harbord told the
committee. 1.-THE air service can
not be efficient below $1,000 men;
the cavalry and field artillery can
not safely be diminished. II 150.-
900 or more men cannot be had,
then in my judgment congress
should frankly state different
mission for us and not mislead the
country on our national defense"
Comparison with the pre-war
army authorized in 1916 would be
misleading, the deputy chief of
staff asserted, since the army then
numbered sixty-five regiments OF
infantry against thirty-eight at
present; twenty-five cavalry regi-
ty-one regiments of field artillery
against eighteen, not to mention
various new units which since have
been added. all of which have
tended to reduce the strength OF
the fighting elements"
II believe the appropriation as
passed by the house of representa-
tives is dangerously small and i'm
perils the national Defense" Gen
eral Harbord continued "particu
larry striking at the national guard,
the organized reserves the reserve
officers training camps and the
civilian military training camps
and so reduce the regular estimate
that the purpose of the act of June
4, 1920 Irrational defense act
amendeD, cannot be carried out.
General Harbord outlined the
required functions of the war de-
partment. The first and primary
duty, he said, was to train and de-
velop the national guard"
This we consider our principal
mission" he explained. "There
are now employed in the work 965
officers and 1900 soldiers"
Among other responsibilities of
the war department, he included
the maintenance Of necessary
schools for training the component
parts of the army, the maintenance
of "the administrative overhead"
for the regular army, national
guard and organized reserves; pro-
viding of garrisons for overseas
possessions and continental coast
defenses and to maintain a well
trained force for emergency pur-
poses. 1.-THE school system" he
said, took 2,671 officers and 5,612
men, the administrative organiZa-
ton 2,276 officers and 14.719 men
and the coast defenses with only
thirteen of the twenty-five sta
lions manned" required AT Off
GERS and $3.50 men.
Garrisons for overseas posses
sions were estimated at 1907 off
GERS and 1850 enlisted men by
General Hartford. who warned
against the United States stunning
its 'unmistakable obligation to
keep order and preserve life and
property in those districts.
Should we again be forced into
war" he said. "our overseas gar
risons would practically remain as
the emergency finds them. 1t is
doubtful II we could reinforce
them after war had actually begun,
and to do it while relations were
would probably precipi-
tate matters; the first overt act In
the war between Russia and Japan
preceded the declaration of war.