Evening star., 1922-11-13
SEEKS TO STABILIZE
NATIONAL GUARD
Joint Military Committee Dis
oussing Whether or Not Or
ganizatlon Changes Needed.
SESSION BEGINS TODAY
Will Consider Allooation of Units
Under National Defense
Act Of 1915.

Whether any change should be
made in the prescribed strength and
organization Of the National Guard
will be fully considered by joint
committee of officers of the Regular
Army. the National Guard and the
organized reserve. which began its
sessions at the State. War and Navy
building this afternoon. The COM
mittee was appointed by Secretary
Weeks for the expressed purpose of
determining how the development
Of the National Guard can be facili-
tated and how the present ALLEGATION
Of units and general orsanlzatien can
be So perfected as to increase the ef-
fciency of the guard as a whole"
Brig. Gen. NJ A. Reekord or the
Maryland National Guard is chairman
Of the committee. The other mem
berb are Col. F. NJ. Rumbold. formerly
r. ". Ward of the, New York Ma
Of the Kansas National GhArd, Col.
L. A. Toombs OF the Louisiana Ma
tIoHal Guard. Lieut.. Col. r. p. Schoon-
maker OF tho Pennsylvania National
Guard and the following named mem
kers Of the general staff OF the Army:
art, Lieut.. Ceis. J. Il. Gu1ick and F.
". Clark and Mai. c B. Hodges. All
the National Guard oIficers are MEM
befs OF the Reserve Corps and are
temporarily attached to the general
stan Of the Army.
tAdeF National Defense Act.
In execution of the national defense
act Of 1915, providins that the Resu,
lar Army, the National Guard and
the Organized Reserves should to-
gether form an adequate, well bal
ahced and effective force, the Wat
Department fixed on b balanced force
ef Six deld armies. general head.
quarters reserve and certain coast
defense units for complete and i'm
mediate mobilization. OF that force.
the essential elements of two field
armies and sasr re- OK the other units
were assigned to the National Guard
That allotment to the National Guard.
IL is explaineds was ShaeeA on the dual
requirement Of providing for a bal
providing the Eatiohal Guard with
sufficient units to absorb Its pre-
scribed strength.
The Embellishments to the various
states and the District of Columbia.
originally accepted by them. have
sinos been the subject of objections
ffem several OF the states Some OF the
ity Of some OF the states to raise and
mAihtAih certain classes OF units and
a disinclination on the part of others
to transform units Of. sne arm into
units Of another arm. That was par
ticularly the case where Infantry
units were affected.
Objections were made also by certain
members OF Congress that some of the
units allotted to the National Guard
are hot essential to that ofkanixttion
and are toe expensive for maintenance
BY It. The purpose of the committee
now In session IL to study these ques-
tons. and II possible reach a satisfac-
tory solution Of the points in con-
troeefsys -.
secretary's Statement.
''As q result Of this study" said Sec
retary Weeks. II hope to be able to 60
before Congress and say. definitely and
corr ectIy, ehfe II the Kind Of National
Guard we must have-these are the
minimum not the maximum require
ments. The present strength Of the
National Guard is approximately 1S0.-
600. There Is no doubt that the num-
Der IL too small. The 18th Infantry
and three cavalry divisions are not
completely organised The question
il merely as to the ultimate minimum
requirements In strength and organisa-
tfon and the progressive steps by
which 1t should be reached"