The sun., 1908-12-10
SRCREYARYORVAR'SR
HE ASKS FOR 6I2 ADDITIONAL
OFFICERS FOR THE ARMY.

OF SIS. 900, 600 over she Present
Fiscal Year-The Array Only e.18l
short Of It's Authorized strength.
WASHINGTON, Dec. s--The total esti-
mates OF tho War Departmtnt 41f the
next fiscal year as shown by the annnal
report OF the Secretary Of War amount
TO sls9, ,755 ,039. an increase OF about SS2,-
600 600 over the appropriations for the
present fiscal year. This increase Is
largely for river and harbor work and
other public works of civil character,
for which purpose about $24.0oo,000 10
asked. OF the balance about $40 100000
is an additional estimate for the support
of tho army Military Academy and the
militia. For military public works. such
as Notifications, arsenals. military posts,
&c, the estimates call for an increase OF
sl7, 900.
Secretary Wright especially recon-
mends au addition of 812 officers to the
army and also approves a p1)icy for the
elimination from the service OF all officers
who fail to maintain the requisite standard
Of efficiency. Both these propositions
were before Congress at its last session
and ~ill be strongly urged this year.
The necessity for more officers. the re-
port says. is due to the unavoidable de-
tachment OF officers from their regular
service with troops. Their detachment
for recruiting duty, for duty az instructors
in the army and at State institutions, as
we'll as with the militia OF the several
States and Territories. has occupied the
time of large number of officers. At
present there are on detached duty col
officers and 1877 additional absent on
leave or on account OF sickness.
To provide.for the 6l2 additional officers
the Secretary says there will be added an
annual cost of between $2,000.000 and
So, ,O00.0 900.
Another method for increasing the
efficiency Of the army, he says, is to
eliminate officers who have not the
highest qualifications. The present law
on the subject does not apply above the
grade of Captain, and it is said has
utterly failed TO accomplish its purpose
except in cases of physical disability.
The report shows that the army is now
only 9,23l enlisted men short Of the au-
thorized strength. due to great improve
ment in recruiting. During the last year
there has been an increase in the actual
strength Of the army OF 10. 1oS, making
the present strength 4,ll6 officers and
es, sig enlisted men. total of 72,o2s. or
this number 5s,iO2 are serving in the
United States. IL, l0l in the Philippines,
1. .9OS in Cuba, l,1O2 in Alaska Gil in Porto
Rico, 95o in Hawaii, with 551 troops en-
route and officers at other foreign stations
The number OF desertions from the
army fell of to 4.e per cent. Of the whole
/ I'll IN Nhn
during the fiscal year 1908. as compared
with SO per cent. during the preceding
fiscal year.
The Secretary submits an estimate OF
$500 0O0 to enable the Signal Corps TO take
up military aeronautics in more ehectiv Q
way than it has done in the past. He
reviews the progress OF aerial navigation
during the past year and gives it great
importance as military auxiliary.
Congress is asked for considerable
increase in the appropriations for in
vestment in permanent military plants,
such as gun and mortar batteries, fire
control at fortifications, electrical in
stallations at sea coast Notifications,
searchlights for harbor defences and other
accessories OF coast defence, preservation
and repair OF Notifications, repair and pro-
| lection of defences at Pensacofa. Fla ,
| and New Orleans, La, defenoes of Gal
weston, Tex, armament for Notifications,
Notifications in insular possessions and
additional land for military. posts. These
various items in connection with per.
manent military plants call for increased
appropriations OF sis.S8s, ,927, Of which
amount about 80 per cent, 10 asked fof
coast defence works, for which about
40 500 oOO Is required for the United States
and IS, ,4oo, 600 for the insular possessions.
The Secretary refers to the good re-
suits accomplished by legislation enacted
| 30 fr, -
the eficency OF the militia. The RGincipal
effect of the new law, he says, is TO make
! the body OF the organized militia OF the seS
eral States, Territories and the District oil
| Columbia more Immediately and generally
seryiceable 10 the Federal Governmenl
| in time Of war. Having in mind the de
STABILITY Of being prepared for any attack
coast lines. he recommends that the
general scheme OF national defence
shall provide force OF organized militis
of approximately 350,000 men. 800 900 oi
these in combination with the. infantry
cavalry and field artillery OF ME regular
army, toconstitute a field army OF 400 600
He estimates that about rs per cent OF
the III 600 officers and men in the or.
ganized militia would respond to cal
TO arms, and of the number responding
a small percentage would be eliminated
probably by physical disqualification.
II is estimated that little more than GO
per cept.-that is, about 67 7,00o-would be
available at present in case OF an
emergency.
careful study in the War Department
shows that in the event OF war with any
first class Power we would need at least
$50. 900 men for first line OF defence and
that as the Regular army is limited 70
100 600 men it would be necessary tc
draw 25O. 1000 men from the organized
militia. He suggests that it might be
we'll for the general Government to stimu.
late this result by increasing the annual
appropriations for the equipment oi
the militia and for general man1uvree
OF the militia with the Regular army
TO Make Paper OF Cotton stalks.