Omaha daily bee., 1909-07-04
We Need Reserves

We need reserves of trained men wherewith to increase our army
in case of war, and we need a number of them several times greater
than our present regular forces. How this reserve force may be
created under our volunteer system Of recruiting is a question that
is much easier to ask than to answer. The author has been long of
the opinion that much can be accomplished in this direction by a
short term of service without re-enhstment' and by making the army
a school for the training of reserves" BY single term enlistments for
three years in an army of 100000 men about one-third of this num-
Der OF trained men would b discharged each year. so per cent of
whom, or say 10000, would be fit for active service during ten years.
This would produce a permanent reserve force in ten years of 2OO-
goo men AS the number o reserves that can b s o trained depends
upon the size of the army and the duration of enlistment, it is evil
dent that by increasing the army to 100000 and reducing the en-
lstment TO w years lOO'OOO would pass INTO reserve each year,
which would in ten years produce a permanent reserve force of 60O-
900 men. The latter figure comes nearer to our present needs. The
size OF the regular army VIII then evidently depend upon the number
of reserves required and the time necessary In training them.
The main difficulty in carrying out this single term service with
Lout re-enlistment lies in obtaining volunteers. In order to obtain
these in sufficient numbers for the purpose of creating a reserve
force special inducements will have to be offered. Our army even
latNthe present time offers inducements which are as advantageous
as many civil empIoyments. At first sight civil employments seem
to bring higher pay, but when 1t is considered that the soldier re-
ceives his board. lodging and clothes. in addition to his pay, the net
salary in the army is greater than in most employments outside t.s"
There is no institution that offers such encouragement to saving and
thrift a s the army. The soldiers savings a be deposited With the
government with an assured repayment and with interest. The pos
sible accumulations of a term Of service would give a modest start
I'm life to the Young "a upop his leaving the army Rnt n visw q
the fact that the system of recruiting implies to a great extent con-
currence in the labor market, further inducements will have to be
offered. These do not necessarily mean increased pay.
By making the military service accomplish the double purpose Of
training the young soldier and educating him at the same time in
order that he may at the conclusion OF his service leave with acqu-
sitons useful in civil life an inducement would be created that
would no doubt cause the requisite number of young men to enlist.
Ordinarily the spare time of the soldier is sufficient. II properly
utllzed' ne STUDY " various branches which will not only be
useful to him in the army itself, but also later in civil life. At in
tervals during the day the soldier could be given much time for
study, while the entire evening, with few exceptions. could be de-
voted to such a purpose, but in order to do this some general system
must prevail. The soldiers efforts must be directed. In order to
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