Show IRGER 1 ARMY C I BY N. N PERSHING r E es Creation in Time of Peace of a Corps of Officers Officers Of Of- to Instruct Men nd to Lead Into Battle Dec 7 7 The The nd ton of ot the national defense ste stem presenting a serious probe e 1 which w should rc receive el e thought- thought I consideration from every veI re- re citizen General Per Per- g declared today In what will h s last annual report a a- a a cef i e ef of art aff of f f the th army By the time the VH former sit AIt report Is due the former comAnder comander com com- ander of tho the American expedition expedition- ary forces will will have have re reached ched the re retirement retirement re- re age age- of 64 General PershIng devoted his re report report report re- re port largely to the question of the I creation In time of peace of at a corps of at officers to Instruct our men a and nd to lead them In battle Basing his statements on Ion the results of the time imo he devoted during the year to Inspection of summer training camps he reported that reserve e officers officers I cers had exhibited readiness to tomake tomake make malte personal sacrifices in order tofit to tofit tofit fit themselves for duty but that the war department had been able to togie give gi them little assistance the truth being that we have neither personnel nor funds sufficient for this purpose With a full appreciation of the need for economy I urge that the tho regular army army be brought back to the strength of enlisted men and officers that it bo suit suitably ably housed and enabled to conduct I annual maneuvers on a moderate i scale that the tho national guard be given the support necessary to permIt permit permit per per- mit its progressive development toward a strength of ot that the tho skeleton organization of the organIzed organized organized organ organ- reserves be adequately maintained main maln- tamed that the funds appropriated permit reserve officers to receive an average of fifteen days' days training in each three or four years that the I reserve officers officers' training corps units be further developed and that provision pro- pro v vision ision be made for a gradual increase Increase in increase In- In I crease In the number accommodated annually In the citizen military training camps camps |