Evening star., 1923-06-03

ARMY

Efforts to obtain better co-opera-
tion in Army and Navy activities
through closer relations between the
corps area divisions of the Army and
tho naval districts are provided Tor
in a recent general order outlining
the scope Of an agreement as to COS
operation just reached between the
Secretaries of War and Navy. the
purpose of the agreement is described
as being ito insure better co-opera'
tion between the Army and the Navy,
to the end that the personnel OF the
two services may be brought. IN
closer contact and may have fuller
appreciation and more synpathetic
understanding of the problems whicn
confront them, many of when cover
a common field of endeavor."
Corps area and naval district COM
manders are instructed to appoint
local joint planning committees, the
business of which will be to take up
questions referred to it and also to
originate projects that have COM
mon application to the two services.
The committees also Will make joint
studies and recomme mendations WIN
relation to local aspects of war plans,
the corps area or district command
ers are directed to designate staff
officers to keep in close touch with
the sister service at all times.
The following important paragraph
was included in the general order:
That the Army and Navy, having
due regard for the necessities of the
case, will each afford the other serv-
ice every opportunity for utilizing
the facilities under their respective
controls"
General staff study of the way in
which the world war Army was mobil-
lied has produced a very clear-eut
impression that the policy followed In
the location of camps and canton
ments for divisional organizations
proved unduly expensive. because 1t
was necessary to build complete
municipal heating, lighting and sew
erage facilities in each of thirty or
more military cities that were erected
1t is now planned by the military ex
perts. in the event of any future
emergency that requires mobilization
of the full fighting strength of Amer
lea, TO locate such camps on the out
skirts of great cities where connec-
tions can be made with existing
municipal plants and save the govern
ment the necessity of putting in vast
sums in permanent construction work
of this character and which has little
salvage value.
The new plan. drawn up in con-
nection with the general mobiliZa tion
scheme just completed by the gem
eral staff, contemplates making use
of every, existing Army facility, in
cluding all of the wartime canton
ments that have been retained by the
government training centers. APP
plication of the idea that divisional
camps should be imm ediately adjace mt
to big cities would be made in the
case of such new camps as 1t might
be necessary to install. The plans
are so complete that it is understood
that the actual localities for such new
camps under the siX-field Army mobil-
ization plan have been tentatively
agreed upon. but the War Department
has not made public this list.
In 1917 the theory followed by the
War Department in locating training
camps was that they should be rea-
sonably remote from large populat tion
centers because IT was held that dis
cipiinary questions made this desir-
able. Special precautions were taken
to surround the divisional camps with
zone where military authority pre-
vailed and the danger of clashes with
civilian peace forces was minimized.
The new plan of the general staff
was arrived at after prolonged con-
sideration of all the factors entering
into the problem. both of expenditure,
economy of time, welfare of the
troops, protection of civilian resi-
dents from undue interference. Since
1T was decided that the camps would
serve their purposes better If ada
cent to big cities, it is to be assumed
that this study of war experience
justified SO radical change in policy.
Corps area commanders were in
structed this week by the War De-
partment to arrange for the selection
of rifle teams from each of the mill
tary training camps in their areas and
for the attendance of these teams at
the Small Arms School which will be
established in the form of a citizens
military training camp on tn Ohio
state rifle range, Camp Perry U hio,
from September l to 27: The tr~.nlng
camp teams will participate in the
National Rifle Association matches at
Camp Perry and also in the national
match.
Instruction to the commanding gen.
erals direct that team squad or
fifteen graduates of the four courses
of the regular training camps and
who volunteer for the work and who
show proficiency as rifle instructors De
selected from each civilian camp Withln
. each area. The provision is made that
no man who has ever been shooting
member of a national match of any
kind, shall be selected. Special match
rifles and other equipment Will be
supplied to the teams at Camp Perry
and transportation and subsistence
will be furnished by the government
The plan is in line with the desire
of the military authorities to make
rifle proficiency an outstanding 1ea-
ture of any future American war
army through the adequate training
of reserve officers in sufficient num-
bers to insure expert instruction.
Gen. Pershing's fixed determination
to devote himself unreserVedly TINS
year to fostering the development OF
the civilian military training camp
idea and seeing to It that the courses
of instruction provided gave the STU
dents as sound a grounding in mill
tary principles as was possible IN
such a limited period, prevented ms
acceptance of the invitation extended
to him by the French government to
be present in June at the unvetling
of the statue erected by the French
people at Chaumont. France, to com :.
memorate the establishment there of
the general headquarters of the A.
z. F.
Elaborate ceremonies have been ar
ranged for the unveiling exercises by
the French government. Ambassador
Herrick will be present as the official
representative of the United States
government. President Millerand of
France will preside and speak again
the feeling of France toward the
United States because Of the effort
made in the war.
The French officials were exceed
ingly anxious that Gen. Pershing
should be present. The American
chief of staff, however felt that his
sense of duty to /the carrying out OF
the military policy for which he and
his officers are so largely responsible
would not permit him to, take the
time for the journey just when. the
summer training camps were getting
started He, therefore, designated
Maj. Gen. William Wright, retired