Evening star., 1922-03-17
MUST DROP POSTS.
# ARMY REDUCED
$4,000 insufficient to Main
tain 290 Stations, Says
Secretary Weeks.
By the Associate Press.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla, March IT,
Secretary Weeks plans to tell tho
Senate committee that ut is impos-
sib1e with small force to man the
200 posts throughout the United
States" he said yesterday In COM
menting on the action of the House
appropriations committee in report
ing bill carrying s270,353.O3O.67a and
providing for an Army Of $4,000
Fenlisted men and 1900 officers.
Maintenance of all the posts, Mr..
figure Is to stand, would mean that
the small nuN> der at each post would
be reduced to guarding the prop
erty.
Overhead expense should be cut in
the same proportion as the Army. II
Secretary declared. Reduction In
the personnel" he asserted. "is es-
pecially unwiSe, unless the overhead
expense of the Army is cut at least
the same ratio. 1t now costs ABOUT
$1,000 per man per year. as against
about $1,000 as before the war. ! do
not know what the present bill con-
tains in detail. but. SO far as am
Informed, it does nothing in reduc-
ing overhead expenses. such as
maintenance and repair requirements
at many posts which may well be
abandoned"
Approves Expenditures Personally.
Mr.. Weeks said constant requests
came to Washington for renewal OF
posts. but no expenditure of $500 or
more is allowed unless personally ap-
proved by him.
"If Congress wishes to reduce Army
expenditures" the Secretary contin-
ued, ut should abolish everything that
fense of the country" He said he
had asked Congress nine months ago
for authority to dispose of about 100
pieces Of real estate. There are. in
addition. he added, number OF mill
| tary posts now valueless. many OF
| structed originally for defense
against the Indians. Moreover: there
are still others, he continued, like
Fort Marion, al ST Augustine. which
contribute in no W. J to the nation s
| defense. For, Ms"ion. however. the
Secretary deciarc !. should be pre-
| served under the War Department and
charged up to it's appropriation.
Reduction of the Army to 115.000
men will neceSSitate abandonment of
many posts. he said. adding If the
| Army is cut to $4,000 men such
piaCeS VIII hdNs W pc s1poiuoiA
We will have to take troops out OF
Them" he said. 1T requires about
| As 900 men on the border and in for
eign possessions. which would leave
/ 20 900 to garrison the remaining 25O
posts. The 10000 includes aviation,
Quartermaster Corps. Medical Corps,
| etc, so that the remainder is only
about $4,000 combat troops. This is
only enough to act as guards of gov
ernment property if they are to be
divided among all the posts
Present Army, $4,000.
II shall hope to have an oppor-
| tunity to explain the situation to the
Senate committee and have with me
| the exact figures on the distribution
of the Army if all the posts are to
| be maintained.
THE Army at present numbers
authorization of 10000. but strict Sc
lective methods are being followed in
recruiting, and we are taking only
the best men who apply for enlist
| ment. It is costing less than IS A
man to recruit, whereas it usually
cost about 500 a man. A personnel
of 10000 enlisted men would leave
the Army with virtually the same
strength it has today. 1t is the opin-
ion of Army heads that this should
be the minimum figure"
American Army in Germany would be
reduced to 1000 men by April Is. The
future policy of the government as
j TO disposition of that number remains
| to be determined. he added.
Mr.. Weeks plans to return to Wash
iEgton with President Harding on
Sunday.