Evening star., 1941-10-05
By MAI. GEORGE FIELDING
EII0T

ELIOT.
There has recently been agitation
In the press for reduction in the
present size of the United States
Army MY esteemed colleague Wal
ter Lippman has urged such a re-
E duction on the ground that we ought
to concentrate our present efforts
on the Navy. the Air Force and
lease-lend, and that we need only
a small highly trained Army Tor
reinforcing our outlying bases and
+ for eXpeditionary operations OF linn
tied extent.
While it is possible to agree with
this point of view to the extent
that we ought not to divert to the
Army more of our total effort than
is absolutely necessary and that IN
the present state of the war our
major task is to increase the de-
: liverieS of arnIaments to Great Brit
ain and Russia, nevertheless there
is considerable doubt in the mind
of this writer as to the advisabllity
of making any reduction IN the
Army as it now stands.
On September 25, the total
strength was Just under 100000
+ officers and men, of which approx
mately one-third we're in the Regu-
b lar Army. OF the remainder, about
pne-fourth were National Guard and
2 three -fourths we're reserve officers
and seleCtive men.
rorlr11AorS tho ARMY
had to meet the following respon-
sibilitieS:
Cd GarriSons for our overseas
+ possessions and outlying bases.
~ A mobile ground force for
the continental United States.
~ Overhead
"a Harbor defense and anti-air-
! craft defense.
(5O The Army Air Forces.
(6) Recruits undergoing prellml-
! nary training.
100000 for Mobile Forces.
IF we allow about 10000 men fol
overseas garrisons, 100000 for over
head. $4,000 for harbor defense, etc.
and 10000 for recruit training Gen.
IRIS. We SIidll app
100000 men left for mobile forces
ground and air in the continental
United States. OF these the ex'
banded air force program will cal
for nearly 100000, leaving 8OO,9ot
for mobile ground troops. These arr
allocated as follows:
Twenty-seven infantry division
(nine triangular divisions of th'
Regular Army, Is square division
of the National Guard).
Two cavalry divisions and ont
cavalry brigade.
Six armored divisions (of which
two in course of formation.
Nine groups of corps troops.
Four groups of Army troops.
G. H. @ reserve troops.
If all these units were at full wal
strength they would total something
over 100000 men: In other words
we are still short about 90 per cen
of full establishment for existing
units. most of which can be made
UP by incorporating recruits under
training. but that would leave US nj
trained reserve to replace caSualtle;
in case we had to fight.
This matter of a trained reserve
is of major importance; indeed i
may be said, in a manner of speak
ing, that no citizen soldier has don
his full job until he is not only full
trained himself but has trained hi
replacement.
An army can take the field at full
strength, but it does not long re
main at full strength unless ther
is an adequate reservoir of trained
requirements to fill the places tina
soon become vacant In the hignl,
specialized fighting forces of TODAY
the need for a trained reserve i
even more pressing than in previou
wars.
Officer Training Deficient.
The training of officers and non.
commissioned officers is also of ma
Jor Importance. This is the mos
serious defect in our present Army