The Washington times., 1922-05-29
ARMY CHIEFS
OPPOSING GUT
To $4,000 MEN
War Department SoIidly op-
pose Plan to Slash Stand
ing Forces.
BY HARRY L. ROGERS.
Intcrna tionaI News Service.

by
Information News Service.
The War Department. from Sec
retary Weeks down to the lowliest
buck private. is executing "eyes
right" in the direction of the
United States Senate. Whether
the upper chamber Of Congress
will indorse the action of the
House In cutting the army TO
10000 men or will heed the
earnest advice Of President Hard
ing, Secretary Weeks and General
Pershing and vote for larger
Quota. is the question which Is up
permost in the mind of every per
son on the War Department pay
roll.
Weeks Optimistic.
Secretary Weeks himself is Opt.
mistiC. He believes a majority Of
the Senate has been impressed by
the warnings OF the President and Of
military experts, and he thinks the
army appropriation bill which finally
goes to the White House for sigma
1900 officers and 10000 enlisted
men.
There apparently is absolute
unanimity Of opinion among Admin.
istrstion officials and army experts
as to the inadequaCy OF the bill
passed by the House. From Presi.
dent Harding down II has been con.
demned as reducing the number OF
officers and men to point where II
is no longer possible TO carry out the
provisions OF the national defense
act. or properly TO perform the pre-
sCribed missions of our national mil.
itary forces.
"Our present national defense law
establishes an economical and demo
cratic military policy thoroughly
consistent with our national tradt-
tions," said President Harding, in
speaking on this subject. 1T pro-
vides for a small regular army 10 he
augmented by great citizen forces
in the event Of national emergency.
This is our traditional military pol
icy. But whereas in the past these
large war forces have been extern.
poriZed after the occurrence of an
emergency. the new law wisely pro-
vides that the framework OF their
organization shall be established and
developed in time of peace. in so far
as this is practicable through the
voluntary service of our patriotic
young men.
Should Encourage Development.
THE army OF the United States as
defined in the new law comprises the
regular army. the national guard
and the organized reserves. Every
patriotic citizen should encourage
the development OF these forces, each
within Its proper sphere
The House bill according to the
War Department, reduces the officers
and enlisted men of the regular
army below the minimum required
for its many missions; retards the
healthy growth of the national
guard by failing to provide the nee
essary training and attempting to
break up national guard divisions;
provides no training for the Orga n.
iZed reserves. and seriously reduces
the Bureau of the Budget allowances
for the citizens military training
camps and reserve officers training
corps. If made a law. War Depart
ment officials assert. II means a re.
turn to the stupid policy of unpre.
paredness which has entailed unnec-
esary sacrifice of lives and the vast.
ing OF billions of dollars in the past y
Secretary Weeks Is particularly
outspoken in his condemnation OF
the House bill.
II cannot think OF greater folly
than attempts to economize by un'
wise reductions Of our forces below
the minimum required fr the de-
velopment Of the national defense
system sanctioned by the national
defense act" ne said. The entire
structure rests upon the soundest
economic foundation. The best
talent we have in our country
trained in the service before the
war, with the added experience Of
service during the war, and with
the fullest appreciation OF our
economic requirements, Is unani
nous in the belief that we should
not reduce our regular forces below
1900 men"
General Pershing takes an eS
tremely serious view OF tho situa
ton
"a careful consideration of the
work in hand" said he, "lf the
initial well.laid scheme is not to be
seriously curtailed and many es
sential activities abandoned, leads
inevitably to the conclusion thai
any further reduction would be dis
astrous."
Gen, James O, Harbord, who az
General Pershing's chief executive Of
ficer speaks as a technical expert
on the effects Of the House bill, said
IT believe the appropriation az
passed by the House Of Represen
tatlVes Is dangerously small AMI i'm
! perlls the national defense, par