Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-23
AMERICAN ARMY NOW HAS
NEW MOBILIZATION PLAN
War Department Outline Calls for Per-
sonnet of 254,767 Officers and
4,3Ol,947 Men.

" " years ago no mobilization
plan existed for putting into
the field an army of 4,000.-
90 men. In a rather hit and miss fashion
The War Department proceeded first to
train combat and other officers, and
then through the selective service act
passed by Congress to recruit the men
TO I'LL up the divisions destined for
France
Scores of camps were built in vari-
gus parts of the country at cost of
hundreds of millions of dollars. Into
these camps the men called to the col
ors under the selective service act were
sent, each camp usually being assigned
TO the training Of single division.
New Mobilization Plan.
The new mobilization plan of the
War Department, aimed to create six
field armies, contemplates a fundamen-
tai change in the mechanics of train
ing. Instead of large camps being
built in the event of war, regiments
and other units will be housed in pub
lie buildings, and other quarters in
designated areas.
If any new quarters are necessary, the
place will be selected so that no great
amount of water supply and similar
construction will be necessary. The
Government proposes to profit by its ex-
perience in the World War, and will not
launch an expensive building program
TO cover the needs of a wartime Army
Tor q year or two.
Staff officers Of the War Department
have been studying the problem of a
possible future mobilization. The task
Of the War Department in this or any
other country, is to prepare for a war
that may never come. The big camps
of 1917 and 191S-Camp Dix, Camp
Devens. Camp Upton and many others,
.F,.I k-vNN %r@1r
long time to build them, at a tremen-
douS investment.
Each one was q city in itself. The
War Department feels that such con-
gtruction would not be necessary again,
but to avoid it careful plan must be
worked out in advance. Such q plan
has been prepared, at least In outline.
Personnel Of New Army.
The new general mobilization plan
calls for q personnel of 254,767 officers
and 4,30l ,947 enlisted men. This is
tbs so-called field army plan, and 1t
envisages an effort 20 per cent greater
than the one the United States made
between April 6, 1917. and November
IL. 1918, when about 2l5, 900 officers
and 3,634,000 enlisted men put on the
uniform of their country.
Perhaps the most important differ
ence between a future mobilization and
that Of 1917 Is the difference in time.
Instead Of l9 months, the Government
viii hereafter be able to put forward
iks maximum effort in 10 months.
AS the World War becomes a mem
Ory the War Department has sought to
apply to its peace-time policies all the
important lessons which 1t learned in
1917 The fact that an army could be
modified in one-hah the time then
required is proof enough Of the adj
vance that has been made. Many
factors may be cited in progress made
IN preparedness.
FOR one thing, there is a carefully
worked-out plan for mobilization, the
first in American history. and decen-
tralized machinery has been provided
for its execution. A well trained staff
g. ready to supervise its execution.
and there are more and better trained
Instructors and commanders. AS q
further advantage, the War Department
has q reserve of material available for
use at the outset of mobilization, and
It also has a plan for industrial mo-
bilization to supplement the war re-
serve.
Other Military Factors.
Not less important is q larger and
better trained National Guard and an
Ohicers' Reserve Corps, organized into
military units, distributed geograph-
skeleton for quickly putting q large
army into the field.
The general mobilization plan calls
for 9 Infantry divisions from the Reg
ular Army, 1S from the National Guard
and 81 from the Organized Reserves,
in addition to a considerable number
of auxiliary units and corps and army
troops Altogether the plan contem-
plates 1900 separate units. OF these
about $500 have their commissioned
personnel, or about 56 per cent.
As a fact, the percentage Is really bet
ter than this, for many Of the units
still to be organized are headquarters
grave registration companies and similar
organizations. They can be easily or
ganiZed after the declaration OF war.
The 81 Infantry divisions Of the Or
ganized Reserves, the backbone of the
Army, which will contribute one-half
of the total force required for a major
effort, are 96 per cent complete as to
their component units and are lis per
cent complete as to their personnel.
Organized Reserve Units.
n Is the combat divisions of the Or
ganiZed Reserves upon which the War
Department naturally places the great
est stress These units have their COM
fnanders and officers, their own mobili-
cation plans and their own esprit de
corps, even in skeletonized form.
A few months of training after the
passage of the selective service act would
enable these Reserve divisions to enter
active military operations. The Organ
lied Reserves have six Cavalry divisions
and these. too, are nearly complete, both
as to their component units and their
commissioned personnel. In all, about
$1,000 Reserve officers are now assigned
20 Organized Reserve units.
There Is still a shortage of Reserve
officers to complete the full requirements
of the mobilization plan. More than
10000 more officers are needed. The
Reserve officers Of the future will come
from the G. NJ. T. G. and the r. o. T. c.
Even II an emergency should arise. new
officers will be needed just as they were
in 1917, and officers training camps
would be Immediately established.
There are, however. enough Reserve
officers to take care of the situation for
the first three months or so, until ad-
ditional officers could be obtained from
training camps. This marks tremen-
dous advance over 1917, when the Ma
tional Army had to rely on the officers
training camps established after the
declaration of war for the majority Of
Its commissioned leaders.
Regular Army Quota.
Under the general plan, the Regular
Army will furnish $4,000 officers and
100000 enlisted men, including nine
Infantry and three Calvary divisions,
i1arbor defense troops and certain CORPS
Army and general headquarters units
The National Guard will give as its
contributions 18 Infantry divisions, 6
Cavalry divisions and other units to
make up "a 900 officers and 4S0 900 en-
listed men. The organized Reserves will
contribute 81 Infantry divisions, 6 Cav