Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-01-19
j ID u = r L = - 80
/. SHOULD 'iI|!O KEEP CAMP LEE,
GENERAL PERsH|NG URGES
! Head of Army Opposes Strip
ping of Country Of Train
ing Centcrs..
MILITARY Cur TOO RADICAL
Force of i5o.0SO Left by I,eorgnnlzn-
fi"n Act of 1921 Limit Of Reduction.
Giving but 5000 Men for Home
Field Needs.
MILITARY cur TOO RADICAL
tBy Associated presS.l


WASHINGTON. Jan. iS-Rctcn-
ton by the War Department OF nine
main training centers. one in each
corps area, and OF a number OF other
special camps was recommended to-
day by General rershine. CHEZ Of
stan. at hearing before the House
Military Committee.
General Pershinr recommended re-
tontion as military training centerS
OF the following: Mcclellan. AIabamu;
Knox. Kentucky. and Travis. Texas.
rs supplementary camps for mob
iiization and training ot National
Guard. reserve units and special de-
tachmcn,s, tho general urged re;cn-
ton of camps Lee. Virciuia: Jack
son. South Carolina.
The War departments prurram.
General rcrshinc said calls for the
consolidation at Camp Bragg. North
Carolina, OF all artillery schools east
OF the Mississippi. The great artii-
lery center at Camp Knox Kentucky.
he said. should lac moved to Camp
BrasC next summer.
Opposition 10 the proposed consol-
ldati"n az Camp Benninc. Georgia.
Of the tank corps school Mt Cainp
Meade. Nd. the engineering school al
fumDhreNs. Va. ana the signal
corps school ut Camp Alfred Vail.
New Jersey. was expressed hv C;nu.
eral PcrshinE.
lie recommended immediate weed.
ing out of inefficient officers IN tho
ieSn!ar army. especially those in the
hiEhcr grades, ana declared il was
IMPERATIVE that. an efficient officer
!orce ct Approximately 1900 he re-
'"''cu pE the War Department.
opposes Army Reduction.
TN ,ttt
REDUCTION OF the enlisted strength NJ
me army. General rershins declared
that under present conditions bn,b
AT nome aud abroad the total reru
iar force is the least that we should
think of maintaining. ,sn,ciaiIy
when we consider the manifold du
YES IL Is called upon TO perform. ana
urgently recommended that no
further reduction BE- made"
Under the pressure of economi,
conditions. the size of the Regular
army was restricted by tn. n,,nrn
priauon act of 1921 to 100000 men"
General rershing said. This re-.
CURED reorga nization and rradjus,.
ment which have now teen com
pieted. About 1900. Including ono
peace strength division and coos, de-
tense troops. have been allotted TO
the philippine Islands. $4,000 SINH
larly organized to the Hawaiian
Islands, and 1880 10 the Panama
canal Zone This lsayes slightly
over 100000 for service within the
united States. from which must he
deducted the army OF occupation in
Germany. OF these at home there
are combatant troops organized ac-
lively in three infantry divisions
one cavalry division. with som. un-
attached brigadcs and regiments.
lint S5,O0n for Field Service.
omitting the stan organizations
and coast defense Troops they would.
when completed number 10000 To
$4,000 troops for field service These
troops constitute our eNpedltionary
forces Ia meet any sudden emcr-
Eency and serve protect our Dor,
dcrs When available. they may AS
sist in the instruction y! the National
Guard and reserves in their respec-
tive areas. These home troops have
n very important function to fulhll
az n reliable national police force.
The regular troops within the
United States proper available for
Immediate service. constitute less
than one-teuth OF per cent OF The
entire population
After Chairman Mckenzie had de-
clarcd that although the subcon-
mitce which recommended disposal
ot scores Of army tracts did not wish
to do anything that would Cripple
or destroy the efficiency az the milf
tary service, IL felt that further eco
Monies must he. pat Into effect 10y
either cutting down the size OF the
army or the num,s-r OF camps aul
tEc activities undertaken by various
unitS, General P-rsr!ns asserted tia ;
he WAS opposed '"this vocational
training stun" side line activities,
he added. should be dispensed with.
Chairman Kahn remarked there
was Il feeling in the House that AL
together too much money was be-
ing spent for military purposes.
That's "A condition that coufrontS
this committee" ID. declared. We
arc anxious To carry out the recon
mcnda,ions Of the Wa Department
when they appear well advised. but
] must admit that in th- past year
We were beaten on several PROPOSE
lions on the GOOr OF the House"