The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-06-11
The Size of the Army.


son. and its subject Is THE Size OF the
Army" Major Wilson uses as his text
the words of Washington: There is
rank due the United States among ma
tions which will be withheld. II not
absolutely lost, by reputation Of weak
ness. II we desire peace. It must be
known that we are at all times ready
for war"
Although II Is not CUR governments
policy or necessity to maintain a large
standing army, it is the majors conten-
tion that we should have one the size
Of which would bear fixed ratio to our
total population. Not only have We
had, since the revolution, three actual
wars and several Indian skirmishes, but
there is growing class of field en-
Payments for our armed forces, even in
time Of peace, namely, that of executing
the laws Of the United States when the
civil power requires armed assistance
and the laws authorize 1t. AT eyonlpls
has been the Pennsylvania whisky riots
OF 1904. Other uses OF troops were in
Kansas and again at Harpers Ferry,
in John Browns raid, under Euchan.
ans administration. Still another was
the Utah expedition Of 1857 and 1855. IN
which about $500 regulars were en-
ployed against the Mormons. The re-
construction period following the civil
war again made calls on the army. Still
later the strike riots, involving the
country where in ordinary life 80 large
Still another purpose Of the army-we
year over $50 companies Of the army
and about 400 sailors and marines being
employed
use the New York Suns intelligent
synopsis Of Major Wilson's paper-is to
serve as the nucleus and model Of large
volunteer force, should one ever be re-
Quired for war, and, meanwhile, during
knowledge and training among the peo-
pie. This last-named function 1t has Of
2seI eVl uI 1851 pue l.sI L! NIqelou
'suolsuooo sno!IeA TO sdooIl sul 1no
lVsnoiq 'sMeI leisps1 eQl 10 uolnosxs
late years been pursuing to larger and
larger extent, through the system Of in
structing schools and colleges in mill
tary tactics by the detail of army off,
GERS to them. And coupled with that is
the object lesson which the army itself
furnishes by maintaining high stand
ard of discipline and obedience, which
is all the more useful and suggestive in
a degree Of individual freedom prevails.
The army must be the embodied mar.
tial soul Of the nation" says Major VIII
son, and it should also maintain rela-
tions Of usefulness and help with the
citizen soldiery Of the states.
AS to the present need Of increasing
the army Major Wilson bases 1t first on
the need Of reorsanizing the infantry,
in order that 1t may obtain better drill
exercises for companies and battalions,
and thus be better prepared for war.
Next he would base it on such experi-
ence as that Of Chicago in 1894 because
no man can say that similar or even
more dangerous defiance of the laws
might not occur at any time under cir
cumstances requiring the Intervention
Of a federal force. In the third place,
our relations with foreign countries de-
rnand that We shall not let our army
remain stagnant. at a basis fixed years
ago, when all Europe Is a military
camp. The Hawaiian troubles, the
Nicaragua canal, many South Ameri-
can disturbances, the affairs Of Cuba
and Venezuela, the Behring sea dispute,
the Alaska boundary question, are only
some Of many international matters out
Of which war might come. The British
lion has his claws all over the American
continent. He has an ally Of 5000, 900
stalwart Anglo-Saxons stretched from
cne end to the other Of our northern
frontier, with the great St. Lawrence
to float his largest ships Of war we'll to
our rear. and canals by which his gun
boats can reach Chicago and Duluth.
He has line Of strongholds and fortifl-
cations all the way from Quebec. Hall
fax and Bermuda, passing down our
Atlantic seaboard scarcely out Of sight
Of our land, and on around South Amer
lea. He has also a naval station and
Notifications at our back door on Puge,
Sound.
With one-sixth Of our national life
in the century from It's to 1876 devoted
to war. and with 100000 Of our citizens
including the confederate armies, en-.
rolled from first to last for military pur-
poses, It is plain that even our predilec-
tions toward peace cannot always in.
sure 1t. In the civil war alone, says
Major Wilson, more men fell than the
British isles have sacrificed In all thei,
wars since the days Of William the Con.
queror; and, "in one century Of our ex-
istence, we have made more use Of tn.
military arm Of the government in sup
pressing internal disorders than Eng.
land in all the time since the Monmouth
rebellion" And, besides the employ.
ment Of the army hitherto set forth
more troops must be furnished as garri
sons for the new seaboard defenses
The increase Of = artillery arm. there
fore, becomes OF the first Importance.
It is noteworthy that. IN 1889, when tn,
government was founded under the con