National Affairs: Waning Strength

Secretary of War Dwight Filley Davis and Major General John L. Hines, retired Chief of Staff† of the Army, announced their annual reports last week. Both stressed the fact that the provisions of the National Defense Act of 1920 had not been fulfilled, that the Army strength was waning dangerously. Significant points:

1) On June 30, 1926, there were only 131,707 officers and enlisted men serving in the regular Army, whereas the Defense Act calls for an aggregate of 297,726.

2) There had been a steady increase in the number of officers resigning and privates deserting, probably due to poor living conditions in Army camps.

3) With the exhaustion of War stocks and the lack of adequate appropriations, military equipment is running low. There are not even enough horses and mules. Under the six-field-army plan, 548,892 animals are required. On June 30, only 48,597 were on hand, and 12,000 of those were too old for field service.

4) The Air Corps has suffered the least reduction of any branch of the service.

† Major General Charles Pelot (“Per Schedule”) Summerall succeeds him.