Evening star., 1925-12-06
ARMY LIVING OFF
WORLD WAR FAT"
Secretary Davis. in Annual
Report, Calls Attention to
''CritiCaI Situation"

The situation OF the Regular Army
is extremely critical Secretary
Davis Of the War Department In
formed President Coolidge yesterday
in his annual report.
III the national defense act IS to be
carried into execution he said, the
statement Of the existing situation, ss
outlined herein, must be given serious
consideration by the people
The Secretary included no specific
requests for additional funds TO carry
out the projects discussed in his re-
port. He did urge, however. increase
Of the Hawaiian garrison by 2ll Of
flcers and 5,669 men. and q similar in
crease al Panama Of 229 officers and
5.0SG men.
Desertions Are Numerous.
Summarizing the status Of the nu-
nerous major projects of the Army
that await authorize ton and funds,
the report made these assertions:
The morale of units housed in tenn
porary barracks is low. tie desertion
rate remaining AT a very hlgh ana
discouraeing percentage.
In reserves Of ammunition and sup
plies, the Army has lived for years of
of World War fat and the day draws
near when there will he no more fat.
The very existence" Of the Officers
Reserve Corps depends on expansion
Of the Reserve Officers Training
Corps TO provide Tor replacement OF
World War veterans who are passing
out Of the picture.
The National Guard must be per
m!tted TO expand IL it is to be ready
for the heavy loads which war would
throw upon IL.
The civilian military training camps
need larger facilities to care for the
demand FOR voluntary training service.
People Are Responsible.
The orderly and economical progress
Of all components and activities OF the
Army must be assured if they are 10
carry our their assigned missions, -
the report declared. This military
policy Uhe national defense act) was
placed into effect not by professional
soldiers, but by the people. The ap-
proval OF it's provisions was demanded
by the former service men of the
World War who had personally suffer
ed the hardships Of active campaign
ing which must be undergone by a
hastily raised and only partially train
ed Army in modern warfare; by those
veterans who had seen war stripped
of all It's glory, in all its horror and
sordidness The passage OF the act
was probably even more urgently de-
mdnded by the mothers and fathers
and wives Of those who had served
with the colors."
Because Of the fact that the Presi-
dents special air board was sitting
when the report was prepared, Secre-
tary Davis refrained from any ex-
| tended discussion of the Air Service
controversy.
ANY failure to keep progress with
the developments which the air forces
Of the world are undergoing is detri-
mental not only to the Air Service
itself, but TO the entire Army" he
said. 1T must be realized that the
Air Service must be given opportu-
nifty to train with the other arms of
the Army and the ground forces of
opportunity for cooperative training
| with the Air Service, If they are to
| understand the capabilities and lirni-
| tations Of this comparatively new
weapon of national defense"
The report recalled that the prob
| lem of the Air Service of the Army"
had been dealt with after several
years Of exhaustive study in prep
aratton of the Lassiter board project,
but reserved discussion OF that prof.
ect.
Mr.. Davis reiterated the views of
| his predecessor in Office, Secretary
| Weeks. that TO carry out properly
the requirements of the national de
| fense act a Regular Army of 10000
| men would be required.
! The Air Service is Of insufficient
| size TO carry out its mission under
| that act" he said, "and the same is
| true of many other branches of the
service. To insure the training of the
Regular Army to that point where il