The Evening standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1910-1913, 1910-12-06

coast dcfcnSeS, the government OF the
dependencies of the Philippines and OF
Porto Rico. the recommendation Of
plans for the improvement OF harbors
nnd waterways and their execution
when adopted, and, by virtue OF eX-
ecutive order. the supervision OF the
construction of the Panama canal.
The general plan OF an army of the
United States at-peace should be that
OF a skeleton organization, with an ex-
cess OF trained officers, and thus ca
pable of rapid enlargement by enlist
ments, TO be supplemented In emer-
sency by the national militia and u
volunteer force. In some measure this
plan has been adopted In the very
large proportion OF cavalry and field
artillery, as compared with the inlan-
try in the present army and on a
peace basis. An Infantry force can be
t,ained in six months; a cavalry or
light artillery force cannot be trained
In less than one and half years. so
the necessity OF having the larger
number OF trained soldiers. The ma
tional militia, which congress is au.
tLorlSed TO provide for by the Dick
law, under which the discipline. tao
ties, the drill, the rank. the uniform
and the various branches of the mill
tia are asslmilated as far as possible
to the regular army. Under the mill
tin law, as the constitution provides,
tho governors OF the states appoint
the militia officers, but by appropria~
tIons from congress, states have been
induced TO comply with the rules OF
assimilation between the regular army
and the militia, so that now there Is
force the efficiency of which differs
in different states, which could be In
corporated under q single command
with the regular army. and which for
some time each year receives the
benefit OF drill and maneuvers under
conditions approximatinG actual mill
tary service, under the supervision of
regular army officers.
In the army of the United States, In
addition to the regular forces and the
militia forces which may be summoned
10 the defense of the nation by the
president. there Is the volunteer force.
which made up very large part Of
the 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 act,
which makes provision for the enlist
ment OF volunteers in the army of the
United States in time OF war. This
was found TO be so defective In the
Philippine war that a special act for
the organization of volunteer regi'
ments To take part in that war was
adopted. and it was much better
adapted to the necessities OF the case.
There is now pending IN congress
bill repeating the present volunteer
act and making provision for the or
saniZation of volunteer forces In time
OF war. which is admirably adapted
to meet the eXiSencieS which would
be then presented. The passage Of
the bill would not entail a dollars eX-
pense upon the government at this
time, OF in the future, until war comes,
but when war does come. the methods
therein directed are in accordance
with the best military Judgment as to
what they ought 10 be, and the act
would prevent the necessity for the
discussion OF new legislation and the
delays incident to is consideration
and adoption / earnestly urge the
passage of this volunteer bill.
further recommend that congress-
establish a commission to determine
as early as practicable comprehen-
5ive policy for the organization, mo-
biliZation and administration of the
regular army, the organized militia
and the volunteer forces in the event
OF war.
Need for Additional Officers.
One OF the great difficulties In the
prompt organization and mobilization
oil militia and volunteer forces is the
absence of competent officers of the
rank of captain to teach The new army
uy the unite OF the company, the busi-
less OF being soldiers and OF taking
care OF themselves so as to render
effective service. Til;s need of army
officers can only be supplied by pro-
visions of law authorizing the appoint
ment oil greater number OF army
officers than are needed to supply the
commands of the regular army troops
now enlisted In the service. There
arc enough regular army officers to
command the troops now enlisted. but
congress has authorized, and the de-
partment has followed the example OF
congress and exercised the authority
conferred. by detailing these army OIL
fcer5 to duty other than that Of the
command OF troops.
Fortifications.
| have directed that the estimates
for appropriation for the Improvement
OF coast deienses IN the United States
should be reduced 10 a minimum.
while those for the completion OF the
needed loItifications at Corregidor in
the Philippines and at Pearl Harbor in
tie Hawaiian islands. should be ex-
pedited as much as possible The
proposition to make Olongapo and
Sdbig Bay the naval base Tor tIe Pa
Cfic was given up, and Ii is 10 be
treated merely as a supply station,
while he Notifications in the Philip
pines are to be largely confined to Cor
regidor island and the adjacent isl
ands which command the entrance to
Manila Bay, and which are being rem
dered impregnablc from land and sea
attack The naval base has been
transferred to Pearl Harbor in the
Hawaiian islands. This necessitates
the heavy foTtldcatiOn OF the ma Dor
and the establishment Of an impor ant
military station near Honolulu | urge
that all the estimates made by the war
department for these purposes be ap-
proved by congressional appropria-
ton
Philippine Islands,
During the last summer. at my re-