The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-11-30
AMY uNpRepARsp
Major General Woods Report Rather
Discouraging

SioS~Al eS'H8
Washington, Nov. 29.-That the
Army of the United States is woe
fully unprepared for war with any
first class power is the conviction Of
Naicr General Leonard Wood. the
Chief of staff whose annual report on
the needs of the military establish
ment has just been completed.
General Wood declares that this
state Of unpreparedness is due prin-
cipally to two causes, the lack OF any
sufficient preparation for a mobile
army and the failure of the War De-
partment to assemble an adequate re-
serve OF war material. The Chief OF
Stafr does not dwell at length ON all
the facts which have led to his con-
clusion, but he has submitted de-
tailed reports to the secretary of war
and Is prepared to go before COM
mittee of Congress and urge that the
present condition be remedied.
General Wood calls attention to the
small size of the Regular Army and
the constantly decreasing number of
instructed militia, and declares that
it is imperatively necessary that Inn
mediate steps should be taken to or
ganize a proper reserve, consisting Of
not less than three hundred thousand
men, from which the regular and mil
tia organizations can promptly be
filled to war strength with instructed
men and from which new organiza-
tons can be formed
With this end in view he declares
that a reserve organization should be
started Immediately, to which those
men alone should be eligible who
have served in either the Regular
Army or the organized militia.
These men" he says, Should re-
ceiye small monthly pay and in re-
turn should keep the War Depart
ment informed of their addresses and
should be required to attend the an
nual maneuyres, receiving full pay
General Wood strongly advocates
the passage of the bill now before
Congress providing for the raising of
a volunteer army In time of war This
bill was drafted by the general staff
and has been pending before the
Military committees of the Senate
and House for about five years. It's
passage was recommended in a spec
ial message by President Roosevelt,
in which it was said that the measure
had the hearty approval of Mr.. Taft,
who was then secretary of war. The
bill provides for complete reorgan-
ization Of any force of volunteers that
may hereafter be called out, whether
that force be a single regiment or an
army of a million men, II harmonic
es with the militia organizations I'M
der the Dick act and with existing
law governing the Regular Army Gen.
Wood says that II this bill becomes a
law it will be possible for the gener-
al staff to make detailed plans for
carrying it into execution In the ev-
ent Of war. He says 1t will cost
nothing in time OF peace and would
save the government millions of dol
airs In case of war The present law
Is so unsatisfactory and vague that
the general stan cannot make prepa-
rations In advance for its execution
in the event OF war.
Discussing his second reason for
the startling statement concerning
the unpreparedness OF the United
States-the lack OF adequate reserve
OF war material-General Wood says:
"One Of the most serious matters
confronting the War Department at
this time Is the question OF reserve
ammunition and supplies. A large
measure OF dependence upon citizen
soldiery brought into the service OF
the United States after Ear Is de
clared has always been a recognized
policy Of the United States. Such
soldiery will be Of no value II We
are not prepared to give them arms
and ammunition when they are or
ganized. We have accumulated q
considerable supply OF small arms
and small arms ammunition. but we
are sadly deficient in the reserve sup
lply Of field artillery and field artil
lery ammunition, and Of reserve coas
ammunition.
Other needs Of the service. Gener
lal Wood says. are the addition or Gil
oflicers to replace those detailed from
lline duties for staff and militia worl
the concentration Of the army a
large posts. the re-establishment o
the canteen and finally. an increase
OF the Signal Corps and the purchase
OF aeroplanes. II is the consensus o
opinion In the army he says. that tn
canteen should be re-established."