ARMY, UNITED STATES

In 1916 the army of the United States consisted of 2,160 officers and 45,873 men of the Regular Army; and 5,446 officers and 105,080 men of the National Guard, making a total of nearly 160,000 men. The war in Europe and the very probable participation of the United States in it aroused the attention of Congre and the people to the nece ity of providing a more adequate and mobile army, and on June 3, of that year, the President approved the National Defense Act which had been pa ed by Congre . By the terms of this act the army consisted of the Regular Army, the Volunteer Army, the Officers Reserve Corps, the Enlisted Reserve Corps, the National Guard while in the service of the United States, and such other land forces as were thereafter authorized by law. The infantry regiments of the Regular Army were increased by 341%, the cavalry by 10, the field artillery by 15, and the coast artillery corps by 93 companies. The Engineers, for the first time in the military history of the United States became a proper organization of the Regular Army. It consisted of 7 regiments and 2 mounted battalions. The number of general officers was also increased, and the General Staff Corps was increased from 38 to 57 officers. It was provided that this increase of the Regular Army was not to take place at once but was to be made in five annual increments, beginning July 1, 1916 and closing July 1, 1920. The President was authorized to make an increase more rapidly, should emergency call for it. The result of the increase of the Regular Army, when completed, would be to add 6,420 officers and about 170,000 enlisted men. The peace strength of the Regular Army was fixed at not to exceed 175,000 troops of the line. No provision was made with respect to the Volunteer Army as that element of the National Defense was to be called into existence only in time of war. A reserve was also created for the purpose of securing men for military service with the Engineer, Signal and Quartermaster Corps. The militia was defined as consisting of the National Guard, the Naval Militia, and the Unorganized Militia. Enlistment with the National Guard was to be for six years, the last three in the National Guard Reserve. The most important feature of legislature dealing with this organization was the requirement of a Federal enlistment contract by which officers ped i dpee were required to take a Federal oath. The declaration of war with Germany, on April 6, 1917, brought into effect the provisions of this law by which the President was authorized to increase the army to any extent nece ary. About 4,000,000 men served in the Army of the United States during the war (April 6, 1917 to November ‘11, 1918). The total number of men serving in the armed forces of the country, including the Army, the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the other services, amounted to 4,800,000. It was almost true that among each 100 American citizens 5 took up arms in defense of the country. The most difficult feature of the American undertaking was to be found in the concentration of the major part, of the effort into the few months of the spring and summer of 1918. When the country entered the war it was not anticipated in America, or suggested by France and England, that the forces to be shipped overseas should even approximate in numbers those that were actually sent. It was not until the German drive was under way in March 1918, that the allies called upon America for the supreme effort that carried a million and a half soldiers to France in six months. When war was declared there only 200,000 in the Army. of these were ars and one-third — f. National.Guards—men who had called to Federal service for duty along the Mexican border. When the war ended this force had been increased to 20 times its size and 4,000,000 men had served. After the signing of the armistice, demobilization of troops was begun immediately. More than 600,000 were discharged during December. Forces in this country were at once cut to the lowest point consistent with carrying on the storage of equipment and settlement of contracts, and the discharge of men returning from overseas. In spite of the time nece ary for return of overseas forces, demobilization was carried forward more rapidly in proportion to the number under arms than in any previous American war. More than half a million came in through the Regular Army. Almost 400,000 more, or nearly 10 per cent., entered through the National Guard. More than three-quarters of all came in through the selective service or National Army enlistments. Of every 100 men 10 were National Guardsmen, 13 were Regulars, and 77 belonged to the National Army, or would have if the services had not been consolidated and the distinctions wiped out on August 7, 1918. The willingne with which the American people accepted the universal draft was the most remarkable feature in the history of our preparation for war. It is noteworthy evidence of the enthusiastic support given by the country _ to thefwar program that, despite previous hostility to the principle of universal liability for military service, a few months after the selective service law was pa ed, the standing of the drafted soldier was fully as honorable in the estimation of his companions and of the country in general as was that of the man who enlisted voluntarily. More-. over, the record of desertions from the Army shows that the total was smaller than in previous wars and a smaller percentage occurred among drafted men than among those who volunteered. The selective service law was pa ed on May 19, 1917, and as subsequently amended it mobilized all the man power of the Nation from the ages of 18 to 45, {nclusive. Under this act, 24,234,021 men were registered and slightly more than 2,800,000 were inducted into the military service. All this was accomplished in a manner that was fair to the men, supplied the Army with soldiers as rapidly as they could be equipped and trained, and resulted in a minimum of disturbance to the industrial and economic life of the Nation. The first registration, June 5, 1917, covered the ages from 21 to 31. The second registration, one year later (June 5, 1918 and August 24, 1918) included those who had become 21 years old since the first registration. The third registration (September 12, 1918), extended the age limits downward to 18 and upward to 45. In the fall of 1917 the first ha:f million came in rapidly. During the winter the acce ions were relatively few, and those that did come in were largely used as replacements and for special services. In the Spring of 1917 came the German drive and with it urgent calls from France for unlimited numbers of men. Then over a period of several months the numbers of new men brought into the service mounted into the hundreds of you sands, and reached their highest point in July, when 400,000 were inducted. During the succeeding months the numbers fell off considerably on account of the epidemic of influenza, and with November the inductions ceased entirely due to the unexpected ending of the war. About 200,000 commi ioned officers were required for the Army. Of this number, le than 9,000 were in the Federal service at the beginning of the war. Of these, 5,791 were Regulars and ° 3,199 were officers of the Nation a) Guard in the Federal service. The figures show that of every six officers one had had previous military training in the Regular Army, the National Guard, or the ranks. Three received the training for their commi ions in the officers’ training camps. The other two went from civilian life into the Army with little or no military training. In this last group the majority were physicians, a few of them were ministers, and most of the rest were men of special busine or technical equipment, who were taken into the supply services or staff corps. At the end of the World War there was avery insistent demand by the American people for a reduction in military strength, and in 1921 measures were pa ed in Congre providing for such a reduction and for a general reorganization of the army establishment. On June 4, a measure was pa ed amending the so-called National Defense Act of June 3, 1916. The Regular Army by the terms of this act was defined anew so as to include new branches, namely the Air Service, the Finance Department the Chemical Warfare Service (Gas Service), and it was declared that the ‘organized peace establishment including the Regular Army, the National Guard, and the Organized Reserve shall include all of those divisions and other military organizations nece ary to form the basis for a complete and immediate mobilization for the National defense in the event of a National emergency declared by Congre .’ The principle of corps regions was established. There were nine of these, embracing all parts of the country. The act provided for 21 major generals and 46 _ brigadier generals. An important portion of the measure was devoted to the organization of the General Staff Corps, which consists of the Chief of Staff of the War Department, the General Staff, and of the General Staff of Troops. The office of A istant Secretary of War was created. This official was authorized with the procuring of all military supplies and other busine of the War Department obtaining thereto. Important revisions were made in the matter of promotion. The provisions relating to the National Guard and Militia were on the whole, unchanged. The qualifications for National Guard officers were, however, fixed, and the Militia Division of the War Department became the Militia Bureau, with a chief to be drawn from the National Guard, to hold office for four years and to have the rank, pay, and allowances of a major general. The Organized Reserves were made to provide and organize in cadres which may be enentee into an oe war Arm meet an Se ene pe Ne in exce ne the Regular Army and the National Guard. In the time of peace it is to be} maintained at such strength as may be| nece ary to form a skeletonized organ i-}C@02 zati on, capable in an emergency, of broad expansion. The act provided for a Regular Army of approximately 280,000 men and 17,700 officers. It does not provide for universal military] Although the army officers and others made a strong effort to keep the army at this authorized strength, opposition] fn Congre and putaide was so strong to a iat See ere otused ce ent Se ec Silctas gradual ones of Laie enlisted er in to 1921-2, 150,000. until in is 1923 reduction it had practically continue reached that figure. Citizens’ military training, camps, » provided for by ‘the amended act, were conducted in 1921-2. At these camps over 10,000 citizens completed their course of training. As/ a peamimenty of the peg on oF Bho army, several regiments were reduce to a state of inactivity. They were) practically only paper _ organizations. The army consisted, on January 1, 1922 of 138,000 enlisted men in the Regular| Army, 128,500 in the ‘National Army, and 64,300 in the Organized Reserves. In the Regular Army there were 15,000 officers; in the National Army, 6,700 officers, and in the Organized Reserves, 261 officers. For an account of the performances of the Regular Army in Europe during the World War, see Wortp War, and Unirep Srarzs. Following the armistice, a garrison of about 3,000 men were stationed, in accordance with the terms of the armistice, in Coblenz, Germany. This was entitled the Army of Occupation, and the force was maintained, although: gradually diminished, until January, 1923, when it had reached to the strength of about 1,000 men. This remaining force was recalled by President Harding, leaving the United States with only formal representation consisting of a small number of officers in Europe. As a result of the decrease in the strength of the army, over 2,500 officers either ee or were discharged from service in B