New-York tribune., 1922-08-28
Army Finishes
Reduction Of
100000 Troops
Examinations, Spread Over
l8 Months, Represent As
Per Cent Of the Actual
Strength; Nucleus Kept
3d Reorganization Plan
Men Apportioned TO Differ
ent Branches to Hold
Perfect Balance Intact

b,
WASHINGTON, Aug. 27.-Another
reorganization plan for the regular
army, the third to be drafted in the
last year and half as result Of
cuts in strength ordered by Congress
has been completed.
The War Department in statement
showed to-day just what had been
done with the regular forces to carry
out successive laws.
"This completes" the statement
said, "a reduction which has been vir-
tually continuous for eighteen months
totaling approximately 100000 men
or 45 per cent of the actual strength
The departments statement said the
plans were being carried into effect
but that redistribution of the troops
in permanent posts, which the
project contemplates, was being de.
layed "in order not to interfere with
the training of the civilian compo-
nents of the army during the summer
camps"
Balance Maintained
Explaining the difficulties encoun.
tered in planning reorganization tc
conform to the enlisted strength of
125,o00 as fixed In the last appropria-
tion acts, the statement pointed out
that no change had been made in the
missions assigned to the regulars in
the national defense act of 1920, under
which an authorized strength of 288, ,O0O
was declared necessary in the iudg.
ment of Congress to carry out the
military policy then laid down.
"The total present strength" the
statement said, "is $4,000 less than
authorized by the act which resulted
from the lessons of the World War
and assigned the missions to the regu-
lar army, and 100000 less than the
authorized pre-war strength, before the
threepart army was created"
The first problem taken up in the
reorganization was apportionment OF
the authorized strength among. the
branches of the service in order to
keep the military machine as we'll bal
anced as possible in view of the spe-
cialized units which must be retained
as war precaution. Allotments were
made with the reductions in each arm
from the national defense &C,
strength also shown as follows: In
fantry, from 10000 to 46,423 men;
cavalry, from 10000 to 9,S71; field ar.
tillcry, $4,000 to 17,173; coast artil.
lery, from 10000 to 12,o26; engineers
from 10000 to 5000; air service, from
10000 to $500, and signal corps, from
5000 to 2,1S4.
Nucleus Is Preserved
In non-combatant branches the quar-.
termaster corps was reduced from
10000 to 5000; ordnance, from 4,50(
to 2,307; finance, flom 900 to 399;
chemical warfare, from 1000 to 445;
medical, from $4,000 to $3.50. {
Under the reduction plan there re-
main available for use in continental
United States 96,723 enlisted men "fo1
the performance of the many duties
assigned under the national defense
act" This number includes about
1000 men still in Germany.
Among troops in the United State.
the greatest cuts were made in the
coast defense and mobile forces. the
latter term applying to those unit.
available for emergency purposes, fol
protection of our southern border, as s
model and demonstrating force fol
citizen soldiers and as basis for ex
pansion in the event" of hostile threa-
against the United States. The Wa,
Department statement added that il
was found impossible to reduce tn,
overhead" administrative force fol
the three-part army to any appreci
able extent or in proportion to tn,
reduction made in line troops.