Evening star., 1940-06-22
BY MAJ. BEORGE FIELDING
ELIOT.

ELIOT.
We are going to build new army.
That army must be battleworthy, in
the modern sense of that term. I'M
provised forces are useless-worse
than useless-in modern war. Half
trained militia forces cannot stand
up under the terrific responsibilities
of modern battle. It was troops
with two full years of training, plus
several additional months Of mo-
bilization, the experience of the
Polish war and again a winter of
training which destroyed France.
The coordination and individual
familiarity with weapons which
comes with long experience is not to
be acquired in few months.
Unless we are going to indulge In
military adventures overseas, we do
not need great army of millions.
We need, as our first commander
in chief put 1t, not large army, but
q good one.
We cannot have such an army un-
less we keep the necessity for high
quality. thorough training and COM
plete equipment ever in mind. Those
who think In terms of the last war,
of Plattsburgs and oO-day wonders
and millions Of men springing 10
arms between sunrise and sunset,
cannot be allowed to direct the des-
TIMES of this new army Of our, or
we shall pay the price with the
blood of our young men, on our next
battlefield.
Burke Bill Dangerous"
There is a bill now before Con-
gress, prepared with the advice OF
the Military Training Camps Asso-
citation and introduced by Senator
Burke of Nebraska, that seems to be
conceived along these outworn lines.
If enacted into law it would create
the illusion of military strength in
the minds of the American people.
without the substance. 1t is there
fore not only useless, but positively
dangerous.
The proposed bill calls for uni
versal military and national service
under a selective plan. It would
cause the men to be selected for the
Army to be trained for the wholly
insufficient period of eight months,
thereafter passing to the Reserve
without provision for any further
training. Such a plan will not serve
our present needs. Our objective
should be to create a military force
which can fight under all condi-
tions which may be demanded of
it and against the most formidable
of enemies. This requires adequate
training, adequate armament. ade-
quate leadership. Mere numbers
are useless.
The primary objective of any
scheme for selective service should
be the building up of our Regular
Army to the full strength required
and the gradual establishment of
an adequate Reserve. This requires
that distinction be made between
permanent personnel and annual
classes of conscripted personnel.
Permanent personnel should be OBJ
tained by voluntary enlistment only;
both direct enlistments from civil
life and by volunteers from among
those conscripts who desire to pro-
long their career in the service. In
order to make military career at
tractive to our young men, It is nec-
essary that pay and allowances be
placed on the same basis in the
Army and Navy.
The objective should be that non-
commissioned officers, specialists
and proportion of the privates
should be permanent personnel; the
balance of the privates should be
drawn by selection, with due regard
to aptitudes, from the annual classes
Of conscripts. Direct voluntary en-
istments should be for five years;
the service of selected men should be
for two years, with the option of
extending for three additional years
II desired. enlistments of
qualified and suitable men should
be encouraged. Nothing less than
the periods of service stated will be
Of any use for the Regular Army.
Duties for Army.
The duties Of the Regular Army
should include:
Cd The defense of the outlying
possessions Of the United States.
CD The provision of q suitable
mobile striking force within the
continental United States, for the
immediate defense of the country
and for expeditionary purposes
within the sphere of our naval in
terests.
90 The provision of adequate
skeleton establishments for anti
aircraft and harbor defense Of the
continental United States.
"a The training of the Reserves
and the National Guard.
(5) The provision Of the COM
mand and administrative overhead