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Show NEW ARMY PUN" ' IS UNDERTAKEN REDUCTION IN 8TRENGTH NE- CE88ITATE8 THIRD READ. JU8TMENT IN YEAR Redistribution of Troops Among Permanent Per-manent Posts Is Delayed by Camps on Account of Civilian Ci-vilian Training Washington. Another reorganization reorganiza-tion plan for tho rogular army, tho third to bo drattod In tho last year and a half as a result ot cuts In strength ordorod by congross has boen complotod and tho war dopartmont In a recent statement showod Just what had been dono with tho regular forcos to carry out succosslvo laws. "This complotes," the statoment said, "a reduction which has been virtually continuous for olghtoen months, totaling approximately 100,000 men, or 45 por cent ot tho actual strength." Tho department's statoment said tho plana woro now bolng carried Into of. feet, but that redistribution ot tho troops In permanent posts, which tho projoct contemplates, was bolng do-layod do-layod "In order not to lntortoro with tho training ot tho civilian components compon-ents ot tho army during tho summor camps." Explaining tho difficulties encountered encoun-tered In planning a reorganization to conform to tho enlisted strength ot 125,000 as fixed In tho last appropriation appropria-tion acts, tho statement 'point od out that no chango had boon made In tho missions assigned tp tho rogulars In tho national defense act ot 1020, under un-der which an authorized strength of 285,000 was doclarod noccssary, In tho Judgmont ot congress, to carry out tho military policy then laid down. "Tho total present strength," tho statement said, "Is 150,000 less than authorlzod by tho act which resulted from tho lossons of tho world war and assigned tho missions to tho rogular army, and 102,000 less than tho authorized auth-orized prowar strength, boforo tho three-part army was created." Tho first problom taken up in tho reorganization was apportionment of tho authorized Btrongth among tho branches of the aorvico In ordor to keop tho military machine as well balanced bal-anced as posslblo In vlow of tho specialized spe-cialized units which must bo retalnod as a war precaution. Allotments wero made with tho roductlon In each arm from tho national detenso act Btrongth also shown as follows: Infantry, from 110,000 to 40,423 men; cavalry, from 20,000 to 0871 i f lold artlllory, 37,000 to 17,173; coast artillery, from 30,000 to 12.020; englnoors. from 12,000 to 5020; air sorvlce, from 10,000 to 8500, and signal corps, from 500 to 2184. In noncombatant branches tho quartermaster quarter-master corps waB roducod from 20,000 to 8000; ordnanco, from 4500 to 2307, tinanco, 000 to 300; chomlcal warfaro, 1200 to 445; medical, 14,000 to 0850 Under tho roductlon plan thoro re main availablo for uso In continental Unltod States, 00,723 enlisted men "fox tho performance ot tho many dutlof assigned undor tho national defense act." This number Includes about 1000 men still In Gormany. |