Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-04-03
TAFT ON THE ARMY.
Says We Will In Few Years Have
Force of 250000 Men.

Columbus, Ohio April 2.--William FL.
Taft spoke tonight at the Columbus
Board of Trade banquet on the army,
atopic which he thought had too lit
tie consideration in times of peace. He
said:
"Naval action is usually affirmative.
TO be useful, the navy must strike. and
this makes its function dramatic and
commands the popular attention. The
function Of the army of late years has
generally been that of accomplishment
by patient effort, stretching sometimes
over months and years but always re-
curing close attention and self-re-
straint. It's work has been not only
that of attack, but more often that OF
administration and pacification.
eve need an army for three pur-
poses: First, as essential to any sat
isfactory system of national defence;
second, as an indispensable instru-
ment in carrying out our established
international policy, and third, for the
suppression of instruction and civil
strife.
"How could VIC maintain the Monroe
| doctrine if it should be questioned in
| the strenuous race for trade and colo
niZation? Could we do it otherwise
| than by an expcditionary force to the
country invaded for the. purpose of as
| sisting the local forces in repulsing
| the invader? 1t is true that our navy,
| enlarged as it is, would discharge a
most useful function in the defence OIL
| the invading country. but it could
make little Roadway against hostile
| forces landed therein; and after that
| the only method of asserting our inter-
national policy would be by the use of
| the army
| "Of course there is no probability Of
q recurrence Of our great Civil War.
| but should the forces of Anarchism
and Socialism and revolt against or
| ,ganizcd government manifest them
| selves, a well-organized militia would
be most necessary. Suppression of To-
cal disturbances is to the regular army
an unpleasant duty and it is one to
which the President would summon
regular troops with great reluctance
An increase in the efficiency Of the mi
litia may well relieve the regular army
of any such duty The moral effect of
& regular army. however. to discourage
laTlessness is invaluable.
| 'INC history OF luis CoulllAS 'iiSe
tic beginning of the Revolutionary
| War shows that during at least one
fourth of the life of the country, the
government has had a war on Its
hands in some part of it's territory. Ii
is, therefore, unwisc TO prophecy as to
what may happen in this respect in the
future"
Speaking of the army today anu
Of its improvement and adoption tt
modern needs he gave the credit to the
ability, energy and enthusiasm OF
Elihu Root, formerly secretary OF war
In conclusion the secretary said:
congress manifests such an inter
est in the development of the army
and a. Willingness from time to time
to improve the various branches that
during the next decade. I feel conf
dent, we shall have a regular arm!
and q reserve citizen soldicry suih
Gent to put into the field 100000 men
capable of carrying on war with cour
age and efficiency. We do not RAISE
armies by CONSUMPTION except as ;
last resort. As a consequence gu
army is much more expensive than Eu
ropean armies. Our regular army o
} $4,000 men costs us about S72.00O,OOO ;
5 year France maintains an army Q
$4,000 men at q cost Of S133,OOOO0O ;
year Germany maintains $4,000 me-
| for S144.OOO,00O a. year.
IA short sighted parsimony with re
: spect to an efficient army which Nigh
, suppress a rebellion or foreign was i
. q short time. leads to the raising Q
enormous fresh levies of unskille
troops ard the expenditure of grea
treasure"