Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-12-06
WAR DEPARTMENT..

The war department has within its
Jurisdiction the management of the
army and in connection herewith the
coast defenses. the government OF. the
dependencies of the Philippines and of
Porto Rico, the recommendation of
plans for the improvement of llarbors
and waterways and their execution
when adopted; and, by virtue of an en-
ecutivc order. tho supervision of the
construction of the Panama canal.
PLAN FOR ARMY.
The general plan for an army OF the
United States at peace should be that
of Il skeleton organization with an cN-
cess of trained officers and thus cap
able of rapid enlargement by enlist
mcnts. to be supplemented In cmergcii-
cy by the national militia and a volun-
tcer force. In some measure this plan
has been adopted In the very large
proportion of cavalry and field artil-
lcry as compared with infantry In the
present army and on a peace basis. an
Infantry force can be trained In SIX
months: a. cavalry or a. light artillery
force cannot he trained in less than one
and n half years. so tho necessity OF
having the larger number Of trained
soldiers The national militia. which
Congress is authorized to provide for
by the Dick law. under which tho dis
{ciplinc, tactics, the drill. the rank. the
uniform and the various branches or
tho militia arc assimilated as far as
possible to the regular army. Under
the militia. law, rs the Constitution
provides. the governors Of the states
appoint the militia officers, but by APP
preparations from Congress. states have
been Induced 10 comply with the rules
of assimilation between the regular
army and the militia. SO that now
there Is a force tho efficiency of which,
differs in different states, which could
be Incorporated under n single com
mand with the regular army and which
for some time eac, year receives the
benefit of drill and nHLneurers under
conditions approximating actual mill
tary service, under the supervision of
regular, army officers
VOLUNTEER FORCE.
In the army OF the United States, In
addition to the regular forces and tho
militia forces which may be summoned
to the defense of the nation by the
president there is also the volunteer
force. which made UP Il very large part
of tho army in the Civil war, and which
In any war of long continuance would
become its most important constituent.
There Is an act which dates from the
Civil war, known as the volunteer net,
which makes provision for the enlist
ment of volunteers in the armySof the
United States in time OF war This
was found to be so defective in tho
Philippine war that n special act for
the organization of volunteer regiments
10 take part in that war was adopted.
and II was much better adapted to the
necessities of the ease. There is now
pending IN Congress a bill repeating the
present volunteer act and making pro-
vision for the organization OF volunteer
forces in time Of war, which is admir-
ably adapted TO meet the cXf:,enctes
which would be then presented. The
passage OF tho bill would not C1tail
dollars expense upon the government
at this time. or In the future, until war
comes, but when war does cor,e t Inc
methods therein directed are In accord
ancc with the best military Judgment
as to what they ought TO be. and tho
act would prevent the necessity for
the discussion of new legislation and
the delays incident to its consideration
and adoption. I earnestly urge the
passage OF this volunteer bill.
further recommend that Congress
establish a commission TO determine as
early as practicable comprehensive
policy for the organiza ton. mobilization
and administration of the regular army;
the organized militia and the volunteer
forces In the event of war.