Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-02-17
WON 7 STAND FOR
TOD SMALL ARMY
PRESIDENT PROBABLY WOULD
VETO ANY BILL REDUCING 1T
BELOW PRESENT SIZE.
WEEKS STEADYING INFLUENCE
Commissioned Personnel, However, Is
Admittedly Too Large and Many Of
ficers Will be Retired-PIans for
Next Summers Field Training.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK

WashingtOn.-It is pretty well under
stood that President Harding will veto
any bill which would reduce the armed
forces below their present numbers
An army of $4,000 men, the War de-
| partment holds, would be little more
serviceable than no army. While the
movement in congress to decrease the
army eventually to a force of 10000
men is gaining some adherents, the
forces in opposition to the plan also
are gaining strength.
/ 1t is not likely that the United
States will go to the limit of disarm-
ament. There are some steadying in
huences at work, and one Of them is
the secretary of war. 1t is obvious
that the War department has realized
| the tendency Of the legislative times
toward the scrapping Of everything
| American which looks like a gun. 1t
is curious, however, that the feeling
| toward guns In the hands of regulars
| does not seem to extend to the guns
in behalf of the reserves, the National
Guards, the civilians, or the members
OF the reserve officers training corps.
The War department feels that it can
go ahead with certain amount of
limited training and support for non
regular units without fear Of the wrath
of congress.
General Pershing has told a COM
mittee of congress that he is opposed
to the reduction Of the United States
army, and that he does not think the
commissioned personnel is much too
large for present-day purposes. He
intimated, however, that some hun
dreds of officers might be retired or
otherwise disposed of to the advan-
tage of the military establishment. 1t
is probable that the generals sug-
gestion in this matter is in line with
the feeling Of the secretary of war.
Hundreds Likely to Be "PIucked."
1t is probable, therefore, that with
In year or two some 1900 or 1900
officers of the United States army will
be retired, SO to speak, forcibly. So
called plucking boards will be busy
and the officers recommended for re-
tirement will be those who have been
declared to be not quite alert enough
for their present duties. There will be
some heart burnings and also there
will be some demands for re-examin-
alton and these demands probably will
be made through congress.
1t is a curious thing that when the
national legislature provides that GER
tain things be done, it frequently is
ready to champion the causes of those
who suffer by the legislation. Con-
gress more than once has been in the
position of sponsoring legislation, the
effects Of which it afterward has tried
to nullify, seemingly being entirely
willing to place the blame for the
action of the law on the persons whose
duty it is to enforce it.
It has been hard work to effect the
changes made necessary by the reduc-
ton of the army and by the reduced
appropriations. However, the depart
ment has turned its attention to the
National Guard, the reserves and the
other organizations which are only in
a way connected with the regular
army. Plans have been prepared for
the field training next summer of $780,
600 National Guardsmen, 10000 mem
bers of the Reserve Officers Training
corps, 10000 reserve officers, 10000
reserve enlisted men, and $4,000 civil
ians.
More Reserve Officers Than Privates.
A study Of these figures will show
at once something which is strikingly
curious. Provision is made for the
training Of only 10000 enlisted men
of the reserve corps. There are
good many more officers In the reserve
corps than there are enlisted men,
and the reason is that it has been
difficult to induce men who formerly
served In the ranks to take on again
In the reserve corps. Every effort is
being made by the War department
to change this condition Of mind among
former service men.
The New York and Pennsylvania
National Guards are at higher points
Of organization than the military or
ganizations of any of the other states.
In the 10 National Guard divisions
the organization Of divisional units has
attained an average of 65 per cent
complete New York. leads with 90
per cent Of her divisional units or
gained and recognized, and is close
ly followed by PENNSYLVANIA with "a
per cent.
It seems to be the intention Of the
department finally to abandon regular
army posts which are no longer re-
CURED. They probably will be made
available to the states desiring them
for National Guard training purposes.
It should be understood that these
posts are the old regular army posts
and not the camps which were built
for training purposes during the great
war.
What Section Dominates in Congress-
Is the East dominating the West In
legislation or is the West dominating
the East?
A good deal has been heard ABOUT
the agricultural bloc in the senate Oh
+bo TTp;+a5 S+o+oe Some DprSOQS nave