San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-09
RESENT NEFF'S
CRITICISM OF
REGULAR ARMY
Reserve Officers Associa-
ton to Pass Resolutions
on Criticism.
GENERALS ARE PRESENT
Maj. Gen. E. M. Lewis
Thanks Association for
Assistance.

Condemnation Of the statement of
Governor Pat Neff that the soldiers
in the United States army did moth
ing except eat, sleep and exercise was
expressed by members of the Reserve
Officers Association at a Luncheon
held at noon Saturday, in passing a
motion to instruct the resolution COM
mittee of the association to draw up
a resolution condemning the governor
for his statement.
The matter was brought before the
meeting by Maj. Charles b. Birkhead,
who took occasion to pay his respects
to Governor Neff.
Il think we ought to instruct the
resolutions committee to draw up a
resolution condemning & Governor
Neff," said Major Birkhead. 1T is not
true, and besides, it ISLANDERS our
friends and places the army in bad
repute with the public"
Without waiting for motion to be
put, the association voted to do as he
suggested.
Mai. Gen Z. NJ. Lewis, commander
of the Eighth Corps Area, who ex-
poets to be transferred in August to
foreign duty, Brig. Gen. W. s. Scott,
who commanded the first officers
training camp at Leon Springs. and
of the Fourth Cavalry at Fort Sam
GERS at meeting.
Defense Cost Is Low.
General Lewis expressed his appre-
citation Of the work that the reserve
officers are doing in San Antonio in
aiding to secure members for the G.
NJ. L. Camps. At the present time the
work Of securing students for next
summer is two months ahead of the
progress that had been made at the
same time last year, he said.
He also praised the reserve officers
for the influence they have exerted
in bringing about more cordial feel
ing of friendship between the army
and the public at large. Army officers.
he said, are thoroughly in sympathy
with the national defense plan and are
anxious to cooperate with the Organ
lied Reserves and the National Guard.
General Lewis also called attention
to the fact that the Ninetieth Division
was practically filled to authorized
capacity on January 1 and that the
Ninety-fifth Division, the Oklahoma
reserve organization was only slightly
behind the Ninetieth. A greater per
centage of increase in the number of
Z reserve officers was made in the
Eighth Corps Area in 1923 than in
any other corps area.
In closing his talk. he said care
full analysis of the cost of the national
defense, including the army, navy and
marine corps and all their allied ac-
tiyities, has been made under the di-
rection OF Secretary of War Weeks
and had revealed that only = per cent
of the taxpayers money was used for
this purpose. The cost of national de-
tense was shown to be IL IL of the
cost of the federal government, he
said.
General Recalls Early Army.
General Scott told of the develop
ment that has been made in the army
since he was first commissioned more
than 40 years ago and referred TO some
events that took place prior to that
time. The leading generals OF the Civil
War he said, secured experience in
small frontier posts where they had
learned how to assume authority in
lesser matters. When the war came on,
they were prepared to assume the
greater burdens that were thrust upon
them.
Out Of the necessity Of reducing the
number Of officers in the army at the
close Of the Civil War. grew the Ben
zine Board" that has become a fixture
in the army. he said.
He told Of the early days when SOL
diers we're expected to get drunk every
pay day, which came once in two
months. Officers were appointed on
the garrison courts and had to serve
till they had sentenced 60 men. Then
they were relieved.
Company commanders were not
restricted in the kind of punishment
they could administer to their men.
When a soldier mistreated his horse.
he would be equipped with bride and
saddle and forced to walk around the