Bisbee daily review., 1922-02-16
SAFETY OF ]. {. ENDANGERED + CUT MADE SAY
 ARMY OFFICERS Present and Future Safety of
 Country Will Permit of No Further Cut SPECIFIC PLANS MADE Opinion Aired That Present
 Army Is Not Even First
 Line of Defense
SPECIFIC PLANS MADE

WASHINGTON. Feb l5.- In line with Secretary Denby's recent declar ation that reductions of the naval es- adjustment beyond those he has suE- gested must of necessity be made pri marily in the navy wards and stations cutting the army below its present authorized 150.0O0 enlisted strength undoubtedly would be reflected in abandonment of old army posts over the country.
 Exhaustive study of the problem has been made in the war department. It was prompted both by the desire of Secretary Weeks to cooperate with congress in it's economy campaign and also by rumors of impending ef- forts to choD the army to a l50.OO0 enlisted total
 The results of the study have not been disclosed. The general theory on which curtailments must be made however. are familiar to all officers it is said.
 The question of the strength of the army is to come uD this week in con- gress. Army officials. it was learned today, will he ready at that time to make it perfectly clear 10 the commit
 
 ent or future safety of the country will permit firther reduction of el'her the commissioned or enlisted person. .nel
 At the same time, to illustrate what reductions will mean ie decreed bv congress. they wiu be able to present specific plans for the distribution of the army under various totals below 150,O00. worked out with the idea of getting the maximum nossihle advan- tage for the nation out of whatever army is left. Abandonment of non- essential army posts. curtailment of the coast artillery force and co1sa- quent closing mp in reserve Of defense works. reduction of PhpiDpine oarri- sons and many other ways of contract ing the army without compellin~ ahar donment of it's major missions. have been carefully looked into in cornec- tion with this study.
 The army generally takes the view that at it's nresent strength. it does not even constitute a first line Of de fense. Practically all the mobile forces in the country which it has heen possible to srare from 0-ho- IT.. ies. pro now concert-atod on tha Nb''0PTN nOTNCr. Ihn- mako ----r depleted. neace strerpth d'-'sio-s. one of infantry and one of cavalry.
 It is argued that should need arise for any important increase in the bor der guard. the country would have to turn to the national guard or wholly abandon the new military policy for peace-time training and restricted preparations for decentralize~ mobili- zation of 2,OO0.OOO men inthe event of war.
 That training system just inaugur- ated to provide a self-sustaining re- serve force Is regarded at the war de- partment as the army's primary mis- sion, and it requires the stationing of at least skeletonized units of the pria- cipal arms of the service. infantry, cavalry. artillery and engineers in each of the nine corps areas created forthe purpose. This would be the last force to be reduced, it is said.
 There is no immediate prospect that the force on the border can be reduced. Pressure from that quarter is rather for an increase. it is said.