Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-23

The War Department recently made
important changes in policy, designed
to strengthen the Organized Reserves
and make this component of the Army
more efficient. A few of these may be
mentioned. Beginning october /, pro-
motions in the Off1cers' Reserve Corps
will be based upon a certificate of ca
pacity, involving an examination, both
theoretical and practical At present
an officer can win promotion through
obtaining credits amounting to 300
hours of work
Under another change. corps area
commanders have been given authority
to employ properly qualified Reserve
officers for marking the correspondence
school lessons. Furthermore. previous
restrictions have been removed which
virtually barred from promotion to the
grades OF lieutenant colonel and colonel
officers who have not had World War
experience. Now those may be pro-
NOTED who pass stiff. but what Is
regarded as a fair, examination.
Reserve officers have been given
greater responsibility for training the
units they command and, If properly
qualified, Reserve officers may here
after be assigned as assistant chiefs of
staff of Reserve divisions and as ad-
miniStrative and technical staff officers.
chiefs of staff Of Reserve divisions are
now required to make inspections of
all units in their divisions and to make
q report on them to the corps area
commanders. Reserve officers placed
on the unassigned list may again be
placed on the assigned list If they pass
an examination.
Training by Correspondence.
Inactive duty training is really the
most important part Of keeping the
state of preparedness for a possible
emergency Not every Reserve officer
can find the time for active duty train
ing in the Summer, even if funds per-
mitted. This type of training takes
several forms. conferences, lectures and
correspondence courses.
In 1929 1904 Institutional confer
ences were held, with q total attend
ance of 193,452. In the same period
1877 1868 correspondence school lessons
we're marked and returned to students.
A total of 1881 students completed
correspondence courses and they re-
ceived a credit of 683, 240 hours of in
struction. The Government paid ST.
480 for this instruction, at an average
cost an hour Of instruction Of ga
cents.
Aside from the general mobilization
plan, the War Department has fixed a
peace-time procurement objective. This
objective covers the units which will be
needed first in an emergency. and the
War Department will concentrate its
efforts on the training of the Reserve
officers assigned to such units. These,
in general, are the Regular Army units,
both active and inactive, the 80 Re-
serve divisions and other units OF the
first stage of the mobilization.
The advantage of the peace-time
procurement objective is that it con-
centrates the training of officers for
the most important units and makes
it possible to avoid the assignment of
officers to units which are apt to re-
main paper ones for many months after
the first call for mobilization. The
peace-time procurement objective is
about $4,000 officers.
r. o. T. C. In Eleventh Year.
In the future the bulk of the Re-
serve officers will come from the Re-
serve Officers' Training Corps, now in
the eleventh year. At the present time
the War Department maintains 317
units in 225 educational institutions.
The r. o. T. G. appropriation for the
coming year amounts to about $4,000
600. The total enrolment in these
units is about 1877 1000, including those
in units in high schools.
Between 5000 and 5000 graduates Of
the r. o. T. G. accept commissions
in the Organized Reserves each year,
and second lieutenants from Yale, Har-
ward, Princeton, Cornell and other in
stitutions will, 10 and 20 years hence,
be colonies and majors of the Reserve
units, If they continue their interest
and expend their military knowledge.
Since 1920. the r. o. T. c. have grad
uated Al 900 men, and most of these
have accepted commissions as Reserve
officers In the Army Of the United
States.
other Reserve officers come from the
graduates of the Citizens Military
$4,000 Americans spend 80 days in
camp each Summer, under the super
vision Of Regular Army officers, and
those who successfully complete three
tours OF duty are eligible for commits
sions as second lieutenantS In the
Reserve.
Many Accept Commissions.
Many accept commissions, though
the contribution Is somewhat smaller
than that Of the r. o. r. C. with units
in large number of the universities
and colleges. The aim of the basic and
RED courses Is to develop closer national
and social unity by bringing together
young men from all parts of the coun-
try: 1t teaches the privileges, duties
and responsibilities of citizenship.
The third year, the White course,
gives to the student more advanced
instruction in the particular branch Of
military activity selected - Infantry,
Field Artillery or Cavalry. So far about
1000 graduates Of the c. M. T. c. have
oeen commissioned in the Reserve, and
later the number promises to be much
larger than this.
In some camps Reserve officers have
been assigned to instruct the boys in
the z. M. TIC. Regular officers are In
the last analysis responsible for the
whole undertaking but the Reserve
ofncers, called to active duty for various
perloos, assist in the training, and in
tnB way acquire practical experience
which prepares them for their RESPONSE
olilties In handling their own units
IN the event OF war Considering the
small amount Of money 1t requires, the
Q. M. T. G. is regarded by the War
department as one of the best assets
given to the country in the national
defense act.
Status Of National Guard.
The National Guard is in a better
state OF preparedness than at any time
in its history. 1t constitutes an i'm
portant element in the general mobili-
cation plan, furnishing l8 Infantry di-
visions, as well as Cavalry and other
units; For the coming year the Ma
tional Guard will have a strength OF
100000 and will be capable of quick
expansion to a strength of about AGO.
In 1880 the National Guard will &c
to camp over 100000 strong, or 81 pei
cent OF It's estimated strength. AS
never before, the National Guard is Z
real military asset to the Nation, anC
its standards Of instruction and equip.
ment compare favorably with those Of
the Regular ARMY.