Evening star., 1939-10-08
Army Will Mobilize
Five Divisions for
Giant War Games
StreumIined Units to
Be Based in South
For Training
Nv CARTER BROOKE JONES,

BY CARTER bkOOkE JONES.
Far reaching military defense
plans revealed by the War Depart
ment yesterday provide for con-
centration of all the mobile COM
bat units of the Regular Army in
the continental United States into
five "streamlined" divisions and for
maneuvers in the spring involving
all those troops-more than $4,000
men-in unprecedented peacetime
war games.
With Europe and Asia torn by
war, neutral America thus laid plans
to prepare its comparatively small
force of regulars for any emergency
and to set up model scheme of
mobilization and organization which
can be followed in carrying out any
further expansion of the Army that
Congress and the President may
authorize.
Secretary Woodring announced
that each of the five model di-
visions would be mobilized soon at
various points, mostly in the South,
. for special training during the win
ter. with special emphasis on IA
miliarizing every one, from general
to private, with the new setup. In
the spring the divisions will gather
for the most extensive peacetime
maneuvers which the Regular Army
has held
227,00O Men Authorized.
Under a proclamation issued re-
Gently President Roosevelt author
lied a Regular Army strength of
227 ,000-17,000 more than Congress
provided for at the last regular
= session. The Army had approxi-
mately 5000 enlisted men when
Congress authorized an increase to
100000, to be used largely for the
expanding air force, with the rest
allotted to the defenses of the Pan
ANA Canal. The additional 1900
which the President authorized will
be scattered among various organ
izations.
With a recruiting campaign under
way and an estimated 10000 recruits
enrolled during September, the
p. present strength of the Army is
amound 10000. While the Presi-
dent. under his emergency powers,
could direct an expansion to the full
authorized peacetime strength, 282,-
600, Congress would have to appro-
pirate funds to provide shelter, sus-
tenance, equipment and pay for
these additional troops, and there
Is no immediate prospect of such
an increase, War Department
spokesman said.
AS 1t is, Congress has authorized
funds for only 100000 troops by the
end of the fiscal year, next June 30,
and deficiency appropriation would
have to be put through if the presi-
Dental authorization of 217 900 is
attained, meanwhile.
Cavalry at Fort Bliss.
In addition to the five standard
divisions created by the new orders,
containing infantry and artillery,
two cavalry divisions will be con-
centrated this fall at Fort Bliss, Ell
Paso, Tex, and will take part in the
spring maneuverS. These are old
fashioned horse outfits-none is
mechanical. Mechanical cavalry
'units will operate elsewhere.
The five new divisions are made
smaller for greater mobility. Each
has peacetime strength of $500
which will be adhered to in the
present setup-against a former
total of 10000. The wartime strength
of the new division is 1850. less
than half the 27000 which made a
division in the World War.
Each division has three regiments
of infantry, which no longer are
formed into brigades; two regiments
of field artillery and the necessary
headquarters troops, engineers, quar-
termaster, medical and signal de-
tachments and military police. An
Infantry tank unit will be attached
to a division whenever needed. But
other mechanical forces-including
tanks, light and heavy, heavy artil-
lery and anti-aircraft batteries, as
we'll as reserve medical regiments,
signal battalions and quartermaster
truck trains-will be held as corps
troops" to be rushed-in theoretical
or actual warfare-Wherever they
are required.
Corps Provisions Made.
Under the present set-up, there
will be corps troops enough for only
one peacetime Army corps, although
the maneuvering divisions may be
divided into two field corps for tao
tical purposes at the grand-scale
war games to be held in the spring
at some location, probably in the
South, yet to be designated.
The general staff is ready to pro-
vide corps troops for second corps
and four more divisions should Con-
gress decide to expand the Army to
full peace strength and appropriate
funds for the purpose. Similarly
should the country go to war or be
confronted with graver neutrality
emergencies, any authorized increase
could be met along the same lines
swiftly and efficiently. officers at the
War Department said.
Secretary Woodring pointed out
that under the new plan all the field
forces could be trained for sufficient
periods and in large enough units
to fit them for any service.
Results of the Army maneuvers
conducted during the last five years,
said the War Departments an
nouncement, "have clearly indi-
Gated the necessity of assembling
the divisions of the Regular Army
for much longer periods than has
been possible in the past under the
system OF providing field training fol
each of the four Armies only once
IN four years and then only for 8
two-week period. This system, to-
"gether with the general lack of corps