Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-12-01

heated tents furnished With floor
and sideboards. Coal-burning fur
naces heat most of the temporary
frame buildings, which are equipped
with sanitary and shower facilities.
The Army today has about half
a million men, with about seven Ma
tional Guard divisions already in
Federal service. BY the middle of
Spring some 400, 900 selectees will
have been indicted and there is
expectation that the goal OF 800 900
selectees will be reached next June,
as scheduled, If the housing pro-
gram keeps pace with demand.
Educational System.
1t was to see these Regular troops
in training and also to see the in
duction of some of the first lots of
selectees that the Army conducted
a party of newsmen on tour which
included Fort Knox, KY, cradle
and headquarters of the new ar
mored force; Fort Sill, Okla, site
of the Artillery School; Fort Bliss,
Tex, where horse and mechanical
cavalry units are being organized;
the huge San Antonio area of air.
training facilities and base of the
vision. The last stop was at Fort
Benning, which represents almost
composite picture Of infantry and
armored divisions. More important
to the Army. however, is the greatly
expanded Infantry School at Ben
ming.
One fact cannot be dismissed
lightly as a result of this prelim-
mary inspection of American train
ing methods. Without the advan-
tages of the skilled training afforded
at these postgraduate military
schools, it is hardly likely that the
Army officers could have done their
task of molding the nucleus of a
trained Army so well.
The educational system has been
a complete vindication of all the
claims made for it. 1t started in the
face of strong public opposition from
so-called pacif1sts in and out Of Con-
gress. Through the years since the
World War the schools have given
officers the fundamentals of sound
training they could never have re-
ceived elsewhere in peacetime.
Skilled Men Required.
The modern Army is a ramified
machine which requires skilled tech
nicianS, thousands of mechanics,
communications experts and rolling
stock to keep it in the field The
Army schools are providing the
training in these essentials.
A second factor which has been
of tremendous advantage over the
days before Americas entry into
the first World War is the effective
force Of Reserve officers built up
since then. AS of October 81, the
latest available figures, 1880 Re-
serve officers are now on active duty.
Approximately 100000 are on the
eligible list. which means they are
available for active duty in peace or
war. In addition to these, there are
II, 500 on the ineligible list, available
for duty in case of war, and about
$500 in the inactive Reserve. The
latter are mostly men who are
disqualified, but many of
whom could hold down office Jobs in
an emergency.
Slightly more than so per cent
of the 100000 Reserve officers on
the eligible list are graduates of the
R. o. T. C. units in colleges and
universities where they had received
four years of training under Army
personnel. The annual output of
the R. o. T. c. now varies around
$500 year.
The Regular Army has !4,107 Off
GERS, the National Guard 1891
already in Federal service.
Value of Nom Commissioned Men.
Equally valuable to the Army in
training the thousands of raw re-
cruits now swelling its ranks are
the non-coms. At each station Wis
tied, the commanding officer empha-
sized this fact. Without the help
of the older and more experienced
nom commissioned officers we would
be nowhere near as ready as we are
today" Maj. Gen. Robert C. Rich
ardson, jr., commander of the LIST
Cavalry at Fort Bliss, said. He spoke
with the wisdom of one long versed
with the ways of the Army. A
month or so ago he was superin-
tendent of the United States Mill
tary Academy.
Less attention is being paid to
parade ground" stuff-close order
drill-and more to the essentials of
combat training. The close order
drill is not slighted-it is the first
steps a soldier has to learn and it is
vitality necessary in teaching platoon
movement and respond to command.
Coordination of movement is the
fundamental principle in the train
ing of modern Army Exemplified
to its highest degree by the Ger
mans in crashing through France
and the Low Countries, it spells the
difference between success and
failure provided the Army has the
proper equipment.
Already the infantryman, cavalry