Evening star., 1923-11-11
ARMY.

L
| Though the figures are unknown.
1t is stated that the director of the
budget has requested that a further
cut be made in the War Department
estimates. Similar demands have also
been made upon the Navy Depart
ment. and Secretary DENLY has par
| ticipated in several conferences with
the director of the budget at the
Navy Department.
The organized reserves and Nation
| al Guard, 1t is understood, will not
| escape the budget directors pruning
| knife, and he is pursuing the same
policy with the Navy estimates.
I Cooperating with the chief Of
| finance, the Legislative council of the
War Department devoted over two
| months on the departments budget.
| and the estimates were reduced to
! tional defense act is to be. car
| ried out. Regular Army inter
| ests were sacrificed in order that
progress could be made in build
| ing UP the National Guard and or
ganized reserves. and only modest
Increases were included In the esti-
| mates for the National Guard, re-
| serve officers and citizens military
! training camps. If the demands of
the director of the budget are grant
| ed by the Secretary of War, 1t is
stated that il will severely cripple
| the junior components of the Army
of the United States.
4 Much concern has been evinceo Dy
| the authorities in the bureau of aero
(, nautics of the Navy Department that
! the Army air service Will soon begin
negotiations to secure control or the
two giant rigid airships. the U. >. D.
Shenandoah and the ZR-3. On the
| Iconvening of Congress. 1t is stated.
a bill will be introduced which Will
place all rigid airships under war
Department jurisdiction.
| The Army bases its claim to op-
crate the rigid airships upon the re-
port OF the joint Army and Navy
board. which has formulated a coast
defense program. 1t is understood
| that the report places responsibility
\ for defending the coast upon the
Army. which is joint function.
shared by the Coast Artillery Corps
and the air service, the former de-
| tending the bases from which the
latter operates. This policy follows
along the line of the we'll known
principle in naval warfare that the
l feet should be free to operate against
the enemies high seas force. though
! cooperating in the coast defense.
| 1t is understood that the air serv-
| ice in preparing its coast defense
plans has included rigid airshlps.
| Possessing a wide sailing radius. IL
| Is argued that they would prove in
valuable in coast scouting Work. Al
though the claim has been made that
the rigid aircraft could not operate
effectively with the fleet, different
| opinion on tn" subject Is taken IN
| naval circles. Naval aviation experts
are convinced that the giant airships
4 Of he No 81
! function with its operations. The
| controversy has been brewing Tor
some time. and 1t may break into an
! open discussion at any time.
| Preparation of a study for the fu-
| ture development of the Army Of the
| United States under the provisions
| of the amended national defense act
| will soon be undertaken by the gen
eral staff Of the War Department. 1t
will not be ready to go to Congress
on its convening in December, but IL
! will reach Capitol Hill before its ad-
! journment. Congress at the present
| time has no official report from the
general staff as to the needs FOR ma
! tional defense. and the study. it is
stated. will follow along broader lines
I; than has ever been attempted here
ftofore.
| In submitting a deficiency report it
| is regarded that the air service has
| established a precedent for similar
reports to be filed by the other
branches. Suggestions have been
| made to the general stan that they
! should ask for similar reports from
the infantry. cavalry. field artillery,
/ coast artillery. Signal Corps. chemi-
E, cal warfare service and Corps of En-
i gineers. With reports from all oil
| these branches in their possession,
/ the general staff could proceed with
| q comprehensive study relative to our
! af
years.
] Perfected by the ordnance depart
! ment, a new device. called the strobo-
scope, will be incorporated In the
construction of the next tank. This
device is a small armored turret re-
volving at a high rate of speed and
| slitted, which enables the observer
| to have a clear view in all dlrections'
Tank observers must not only have
some means of observation in all d.
! recttons, but they must be protected
from fire at the same time. An eX-
/ cellent working model of the strobo-
scope has been perfected, and one Will
F. be mounted on the next tank.
| The annual winter dance OF the
Washington branch of the infantry
Association will be given at Washing-
! ton barracks December S. The chiefs
! of all branches of the War Depart
ment and retired infantry officers and
their families have been invited to
attend the affair.
/ Two years ago the project of con-.
! solidating the coast guard with the
Nayy was worked out. but upon
! reaching the White House the plans
, were disapproved. Neither the Navy
Department or the coast guard de-
| sired such a. change. and both serv-
f; Ices were relieved when the stamp OF
disapproval was put on the project.
! 1t is now proposed, however, 10
! turn the coast guards shore stations
| over to the Department of Commerce,
| and it's ships and personnel are to be
] absorbed by the Navy. 1t is stated
| that the Navy is not interested In
the change, and that the plan origi-
| mated with the Department or Com
| merce, which will support it. Doubt
has been expressed whether Congress
| will give any serious consideration TO
the proposed consolidation at the ap-
preaching session.
| From certain quarters comes the
report that in the event that the
| Brown plan for the reorganfzat1on OF
| the federal government is adopted.
which is very unlikely. the Marine
Corps will be absorbed by the Army.
! Even with this absorption the Army
/ would need more men II 1T performs
it's functions under the national de-
fense act. Being extremely proud OF
it's traditions, 1t is doubtful whether
the marines would acquiesce for such
| a consolidation without strong pro-
tests There was a time In history
! when some friction existed between
/ the Marine Corps and the Navy, and
the then occupant of the White House
took the soldiers of the sea off of
naval vessels. This has all passed
away, and the Marine Corps now
plays the part of an advanced base
| force in American naval strategy.
In the coming winter maneuvers the
corps will play an important part as
Ian expeditionary coast force. Friends