Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-02-24
MILITARY PLANS
Of NATION LAID
DOWN BY CHIEF.
Gen. Per5hing Outlines a
New Economic Prin-
CipIe" to Govern Peace
Time Maintenance.

Washington. Feb. "a new
economic principle" to govern
peace time maintenance OF all
branches of the army regulars, ma
tional or organized reserves, was
laid today by General Pershing be-
fore the house subcommittee on
army appropriations. General
Pershing's statement ala not deal
with specific questions as to Inc
strength of the regular army during
the coming fiscal year, the officer
saying, however that in view of
possible reduction" in army
strength consideration of the de
yelopment of a national army from
an economical standpoint" be-
came especially important.
The generals statement conclud-
ed the hearings of the committee
and it is expected o be prepared
submit its report in about a week.
After pointing out that the reSu-
lar army was relatively small al
present" and limited in numbers,
first, by the existing army orGanl-
cation act and later by the appfo-
priations act, General Pershing SAID
that the following economic prin-
ciple might be stated as to the mill
tary organization the country
should maintain:
IN organizing the peace estab-
lshment, no unit should be mann
tanned in more expensive cate
rory If it can be safely and adVan-
tageously maintained in a less eN-
pensive category, and mobilized
therefrom in time to meet the re-
uuirements Of an emergency
The officer said that the cost OF
each group of the new army was
different, the regulars being more
costly than the national guard,
which in turn cost more than the
organized reserves. In explanation
of this, he added, that 'it would be-
of course, understood that regular
army organizations must be main
tanned for duty in foreign garrisons
upon the Mexican border, for
emergency service at home or eN-
peditionary purposes abroad and
for all other duties which in the
nature of things could not be per-
formed by the citizen soldiers"
Application " this principle, he
said, would lay the foundation Tor
a military organization at minimum
cost"
A second conclusion, which he
stated was as follows:
1.-THE primary mission of the reg
ular personnel within the United
States is to develop the national
guard and the organized reserves
and to establish a national training
system"
In this connection he said chat
while the main obstacle" to appl-
cation of this principle was that
military training in the United
States lis entirely voluntary" in
creasing interest was being mani
tested in the national guard and
the reserve as we'll as in the mill
tary training camps.
Still another principle he IAN
down was as follows:
"In training the citizen army we
should employ as many reserve Of
ficers and non-commissioned Off
GERS as possible as student instruct-
ors and staff personnel in our train
ing camps and other training es-
adjustments"
In relation to this, he stated that
full DEVELOPMENT of the system he
was broadly picturing cannot be
carried out by the regular army
alone. even at its present size, nor
is It advisable that all instruction
be given by regular personnel
As to the future functions OF
the regular army, he laid down this
principle:
"That portion of the regular army
not required for general overhead
purpose shall be formed into two
separate forces. one composed OF
trsining Organizations, distributed in
the several corps areas and the
other an expeditionary force com
posed of regular arrv units at et-
fective strength ready for imme-
diate service and stationed accord
ing to convenience for service"