Evening star., 1923-09-23
THE CIVILIAN ARMY
By LIEUT.. STEPHEN F. TILLMAN.
Orsanized Reserves-National Guard

Conferences are now being held IN
the War Department to adjust the
differences OF opinion invoked by the
proposed single commission for ofi-
GERS of the National Guard and the
Organized Reserves.
The effect of the new proposal,
which may require an amendment Of
the national defense act. will be to
abolish the so-called double oath"
for members of the reserve. 1t is
this prospect which does not appeal
10 members of the reserve. and they
base their opposition on the supposi-
tion that the National Guard can not
by nature be put IN a status similar
to that OF the reserves. The proposed
plan contemplates an +Army of the
United States which shall be COM
posed of three components-the Reg
ular Army, the National Guard and
the reserve-each with It's individual
organization and regulations, but
each part of the defense force or
the United States.
When time of necessity comes the
reserves and the members OF the Ma
tional Guard can be called into active
status, and their commissions will
remain. the. same. They will be all
ready to be inducted into active duty.
because they Will. still belong to the
Army Of the United States. and no
change. except to active status, will
need to be made.
The committee of the general staff
in charge of the proposed legislation.
If legislation is needed to accomplish
the purpose, has been working on its
task for a considerable length of
time. AS far back as last February
the convention of the National Guard
Association resolved that this. con-
vention instruct and direct the ex-
ecutive committee elected for the
ensuing year to- draft an amendment
to the national defense act for pres
entation to the Congress of the
United States which will provide for
National Guard and reserve conpo-
nents of the Army of the United
states Of a commission whichS will
be effective both in peace and war,
aiGnments of such Officers toy any
component of the Army Off the
United States, and to presents.this
amendment to the present session of
the Congress of,the United StateE and
carry on an aggressive campaign to
obtain its passa ge." 4
1t was not found feasible, however
TO present this. to the Sixty yenth
congress, and now It is belfevedSthat
the same purpose can be accomplished
without resort to an amendment of the
national defense act. The judge ad-
Vocate general is now studying the
problem to see If this can be avoided
u is urged that the Army of the
United States VIII contain as maxi
mum total of 1882 officers and
10000 non-commissioned officers. This
Will be divided among the three COM
ponentsl of fthe Army of the United
States as follows:
Regular Army. 1924 officers and
10000 enlisted men; National Guard
1858 officers and 250,000 enlisted men
and Organized eseryes, 10000 officers
and 100000 enlisted men. AS there
were total of only 100000 officers
in the armies of the United States dur
ing the world war, it is believed that
1852 officers all ready for instant
call TO battle. trained, perfected in
latest war inventions and physically
fit, viii be sufficient TO protect this
country against any possible invasion
The largest complement of non-com-
missioned officers and enlisted men of
the Regular Army will be available as
Instructors for the millions of civilians