The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-05-19
Pershing Holds
Army Minimum
Now Reached

NOW NCdCAECu
New York, May 19-General Per-
tahtng, writing of Our Plans for the
National Defense" in the current
that the absolute minimum in the
standing army below which it is
highly dangerous to reduce already
has been reached.
Reviewing regrettable experiences
attributed to unpreparedness of the
United States in past wars, the Gener-
al writes that t'as to the World War,
/ firmly believe that a substantial
condition of preparedness of our land
and naval forces, backed by an ade-
quate merchant marine. would have
kept US out of the war, and would
have placed US in a position to have
brought 1t to an early termination"
Moreover" he continues, cit is not
too much to say that under these
conditions and with strong leader
ship, we might have prevented the
World War altogether
In his article, General PerShing
vtsualizes the tripartite. army which
rsswe are struggling to create" under
1.-THE Reorganization Act of June, 1920,
O. welding of regulars, trained nation
al guardsmen and large citizen
serve into a homogeneous whole. He
pleads with his comrades of the
+ American Legion to support the
fmodest estimates of the administra-
ton of men and money NEEDED to
perfect our well-considered plans for
! d DaS1C organization ana 1OT
, mary training that we may avoid
another humdliating experience be-
fore the world
1.-The story Of American wars is one
of gallant deeds and great personal
courage on the part of the Individual
officer and soldier, but lack of prep
aration and training has always led
to undue loss OF life and heavy f1nan-
cia1 burdens" the general writes.
while we boast of having been
victorious in our early foreign wars.
it was due more directly to the weak
ness of the enemy and his engage
ments elsewhere than to the exercise
of wise forethought in preparation
or to superior stra1egical or tactical
ability on the part of our own forces
or their leaders. We are prone to
shut our eyes to these plain facts. a
condition reflected in Congress, which
has generally considered its duty we'll
performed if. after the beginning of
war, it has authorized the raising of
an army and provided for its main
tenance.
I'm the Civil War. even a small
well-trained force would probably
have ended the war before the entire
country became involved, and would
have saved the loss of thousands OF
lives and untold treasure on both
Sides
At this point General Pershing ex-
presses the belief that American
preparedness and strong leadership
might have prevented the World
War.
"Never until our last experience
have we sought a remedy for
the avoidance of past errors"
he continues, but a.fter each
tie policy of saving few dollars that
should be spent for moderate prepa-
ration in order to meet the billions
spent because of lacak of prepara-
ton"
The new three-fold army, General
iPershing explains, would be built on
the structural framework taken bod
lily from the World War, so that the
traditions, esprit and prestige of the |
great combat units would be perpetu- |
ated.
s'Ihe combat component of the
regular army in the United States is |
so small as to be almost negligible in |
the event of hostihties with a first |
class power the General declares. !
," Therefore, the National Guard must, |
under our adopted military policy, !
Immediately take the field in a great |
emergency. This force must be train
ed and organized, ready to deploy l.
upon the declaration of war. the |
bu1wark behind which the Federal
government will mobilize troops and |
industries.
The organized reserves, constitut-
armies. would not be maintained at |
strength in time of peace, save for a |
few trained officers and enlisted spec
1aistS- These, assigned to skeleton |
home towns. would keep in touch
with the army by correspondence
courses and summer camps, while Of
ddoers would be trained in high
schools. colleges and citizens camps.
Amy arrangement that con-
templates our taking the offensive
Immediately upon the outbreak OF a
great war is impracticable because
of the immense expense involved in
time of peace and is impossible be-
cause 1t would not be in keeping with
our democratic ideals,s General
Pershing says. THE existence of
tarism of a pronounced and objection
able type. But our initial role
on land is defensive. and it is the
National Guard with our small reg
ular army which is charged with the
fulhllment of this mission. Later,
as the offensive becomes necessary. L
it is the National Guard and the larg-
er organized reserves, supplemented
by the regulars, which must carry a
war to a triumphant conclusion"
Summing up, General Pershing
says: Contrast the National Guard
and the regular army, holding the
battle line while the greater army of
reserves is being formed, without
plight during the first
forced to depend upon our interests
until the American Expeditionary
Forces could be brought into the
field
gagged in the consideration of drastic
reductions in our professional person
mel, and in the sums estimated as
necessary for the training and equip
nent of the citizen forces. No think
ing man can be justified in demand
|nT a large professional army. but
here is an absolute minimum below
which it is highly. dangerous to re-
sYcs and that we have already reach
"a The obligation of the profession
II soldier to defend our colonial pos
sessions, particularly the important
,11fuosts of Hawaii and the Panama
canal and to carry out duties ex-
pucitIy set forth IN the law for the
orRarization and training of the citi-