Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-18
ARMY EXPANSION
PLAN SUBMITTED
increase of Enlisted Strength
From 1880 to 1855, 900
Over 10 Years Suggested.

By the Associated Press
A plan for gradual expansion over
a 10-year period of the Army's en-
listed strength from 1880 to 10000
men has been transmitted without
recommendation to the House mlh'
tary committee by Secretary OF war
Davis.
The officer personnel would be in
creased from 10000 to 14,063. while
the cost incident to pay, allowances
and mileage would mount gradually
from $123.510,000 to $156,721,000, at
the end of the period.
For Economy Reasons.
The Secretary said it was drafted
after a study by an Army board OF
military needs, but was not recon-
mended "at this time for reasons of
economy"
II am transmitting it to YOU he
wrote, 'in order to indicate co-or-
dtnate plan for meeting these needs
at such time as the financial condi
tons of the Government will warrant
the serious contemplation of an in
crease in the strength of the Regular
Army.
This study. which l am not recon-
mending at the present time, would
seem to indicate the adVisabillty OF
the development of a Regular Army
at the end of a 10-year period to
strength of 1903 officers and $1,000
enlisted men"
He added he was of the opinion that
a strength of ''at least 10000 officers
and 150, 900 enlisted men would enable
US to increase the effectiveness of our
national defense in far greater pro-
portion than the increase in personnel
might Indicate
THE problem of maintaining a mo-
bile force suitably organized for i'm
mediate use in an emergency, and at
the same time maintaining sufficient
units to conduct the training of our
civilian forces, has become very
acute" he continued. In trying 10
solve this problem the War Depart
ment has been forced to make serious
reductions in the size of the Regular
Army units. My predecessor repeat
eddy stated that a Regular Army of at
least $4,000 officers and 100000 enlist
ed men was necessary to meet the re
sponsibilities imposed upon the War
Department.
Reconstruction of Regiments.
The plan would contemplate recon
struction Of a number of regiments
now inactive. For continental United
States 1t would PROVIDE:
Infantry, % combat regiments and
! school regiment Cavalry, 13 combat
units and / school; Field Artillery,
10 combat and l school; Field Artil-
lery, horse battalion, /: Heavy Field
Artillery, brigade; Field Artillery for
Fort Benning, Ca, l battalion; En-
gineers, 4 combat regiments; Air
Corps, 8 observation squadrons; photo
sections, g; pursuit, bombing, attack
and balloon and airship companies
to be determined later.
For overseas possessions it would
provide:
Infantry, 10 combat and Philip
pine Scout regiments; Cavalry, 1 regi.
ment Philippine Scouts; Field Artil-
lery, Regular and Philippine Scout
regiments: Engineers, 2 Regular and
! Philippine Scout combat regiments:
Air Corps, observation, pursuit and
2 bombing squadrons and 4 balloon
companies.
Combat Infantry regiments would
have 1872 men each.
Aviation should be considered as
an integral part. of the Army just
as any other combat branch, and
should be subjected to gains and
losses according to the varying
strength of the Regular Army just
as any other combat branch" Mai.
G. A. Lynch, general staff recorder,
said in a memorandum accompanying
the report.