Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-12-01
RLD
IN REVIEW
BY Maj. Gen.
D. P. Barrows

SECRETARf OF WAX Slim
~ SON ecently announced
that the war department has
approved the restoration of the
national guard in our postwar
defense program.
Whether or not this is the
best plan for adequate national
defense. it is important that our
public should have an adequate
knowledge, which they appear to
lack, as to how the national
guard of the United States was
organized, equipped and trained
during the period between the
two world wars.
1t seems probable that after
this war ends, the United States
will require a much larger army
than we have previously had in
time of peace.
1t will be needed for the mill
tary occupation of Germany. for
garrisoning overseas positions,
and, for a long time. to prevent
another attack being made
against us.
WHEN the size of this army.
w whether 1000, 900 or several
millions, is determined, then this
country will have to decide
whether it will maintain large
regular or standing army, or
whether this force will be largely
what we are calling a citizens
army" like the national guard.
The nearest we ever came to
satisfactory military strength
in peace time was in the 20
years between the enactment of
the National Defense Act of
1921 and our participation in
this war.
At that time we had three in
fantry divisions and two cavalry
divisions of the regular army in
this country, and about 20 COM
bat infantry divisions and some
cavalry of the national guard.
Both regular army and ma
tional guard had identical or
ganization and arms: the same
standard for the performance of
duty: in both branches pay,
equipment, food, travel, hospi-
talization, were provided by the
war department.
Many officers in the national
guard had had service in the
regular army or in the first
World War.
In these respects they were
alike or identical.
NONE of these divisions were
~ ready for action when the
crisis came. All were below
peace strength and all had GER
tain divisional units inactive,
although the national guard
divisions had light tank units
and air reconnaissance squad
rons.
All of this force had TO he
built up TO battle strength by
newly conscripted men and it
had to be trained for many
months and physically hardened
to toughness never before
contemplated.
In spite of this delay our
prewar organization. with its
component of a regular army,
and a much larger component
of citizen soldiery, has justified
itself in this war.
COMPULSORY peacetim
~ military service has never
been adopted by Great Britain
or the dominions. or by the
United States or other Ameri-
can republics.
The Republic Of Switzerland
has enforced universal military
training and service, but in
what may be called a Citizens
army rather than regular or
standing army.
To train a competent soldier
requires considerable time. 1t
cannot be done in one year of
recruit and basic training. On
the other hapd. men who serve
as citizen soldiers may 60 on
for many years without sepa-
ration from their homes or civil
duties, and experience an ex-
tended period Of instruction
which, by its long continuance,
may produce more qualified
soldier than does a short, in
tensive period followed by in
activity.