The Washington times., 1923-07-10

Recruiting Restrictions Making
U. S. Land Force Smallest
ProportionateIy.
BY GEORGE E. DURNO,
International News Service.


Copyright. 1923. by International News
Service.)
Within the next six months the
personnel Of the United States
army win be reduced to less than
10000 men-the smallest armed
force in proportion to population
Of any recognized country in the
world-War Department officials
revealed to international News
Service today.
When this estimated minimum
is reached on January 1, 1924,
America will have fewer men I'M
der arms than beaten, demoralized
Germany, which, when "disarmed'
by General Foch, was left with an
army Of 100000 men.
10000 Urged by Weeks.
Although Congress. at its last ses.
sion, capitulated to the extent OF
authorizing a standing army Of
125, 000-as between the $4,000 fig
ure favored by the lawmakers and
the 100000 urged, by Secretary
Weeks-legislation enacted at the
same time now threatens to make
the military establishment incapable
Of performing it's routine duties, &C.
cording to members of the general
staff.
The army at present is losing be-
tween 1000 and 1900 men q
month. BY the end of the year It is
estimated approximately $4,000 men
will have been discharged, including
ordinary loss through desertion,
withdrawal Of minors by parents,
courts-martial, ETC., and of this
number only a very few will be re-
enlisted.
Reasons prescribed by officials for
this drastic falling off are as fol-
lows:
1.-The new regulation, ordered
by Congress, which went into effect
July 1, requiring all men under
twenty-one to have written consent
from their parents before enlist
ing, and requiring all men over
that age to produce birth certifi-
Gates to prove their ages.
2-The lack of adequate appro-
priations to conduct recruiting cam
paigns.
3-The plentifulness Of employ
ment for unskilled labor, and the
inclination of men to take such
81 - u
Of looking up birth certificates to
get in the army.
The effect Of the army's demon
alization already is becoming ap-
parent. officials contended. Guilty.
ing garrisons at Panama, the
Philippines, Hawaii, China, and
along the border are pitifully under.
manned, and as a result it has been
necessary to draw upon the troops
stationed at interior points, taking
them away from the work of train
ing national guardsmen and
civilians in the summer camps, and
making impossible the proper train.
ing even Of recruits for the regular
army.
Companies are now reduced to
approximately firty men, and by
the first Of next year they will be
down to between twenty-five and
thirty men. Thus, both the national
defense program and the campaign
for organizing a civilian component
have been seriously jeopardized,
A few interesting points touched
upon by army officials in making
known this condition are:
1-That between the United States
proper and the Panama canal there
are foreign troops in greater num-
Der than will be the American army
the first Of next year. With 10000
soldiers in Mexico, 5000 in Colon
bia, 5000 in Guatemala, 1000 in
Salvador, 1900 in Honduras, 1000
in Nicaragua and 200 in Costa RIGA
a grand total Of 96.100 troops stand
between this country and it's most
cherished possession.
1912 Standard.
2-Despite all the lessons of the
world war, the United States will
have reverted to 1912 in the matter
of preparedness for national defense
so far as a standing army is con-
cerned. In that year there were
$1,000 troops under arms.
By January l, the army will
represent approximately 10 per cent
of the population, q smaller per
centage than any country in the
world. Brazil and Colombia with