The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-12-06

thorized this board to expend the
money Appropriated under my direc-
ton for the as,ertainment of me cost
Of production AZ nome ana abroad Of
the various articles ineiuded IN the
schedules of the tarli The tariH
board thus appointed ana aathoriAea
has been dillsent in preparing itself
for the neeessars eAt}sstionh. Inc
hope OF those VINO have ADJ o1ate4 the
use of this Doaru for farm pui poses
Is that the question oil the rate vi
duty imposed shall become more Of a
business question anu less Of a political
question. to be ascertained by experts
OF long training ard accurate knowl-
edge. e.
whether or not the protective policy
Is to be continued, ana the degree of
protection To he accorded TO our nome
Industries. are questions which the
people must decide through their
chosen representative; but whatever
policy Is adopted, II Is clear that the
necessary legislation should be based
on an impartial. thorough ana con-
tinuons stuay OF the facts
War Department.
The War Department has within Its
jurisdiction the management of the
army. and, In connection Herewith,
the coast aefenses; the government OF
the Dependencies of the Philippines
and of Porto Rico; the recommended
ton of plans for the Improvement OF
harhors and waterways, and their ex-
ecution when adopted. and. by virtue
of an executive orAer, the supervision
of the construction. III the Panama ca
nal
The army Of the United States fs
a small boay compared With the to-
tai number OF tpr p.
Walton Of whose peace and good order
1t Is II last recourse. The army now
numbers about 10000 men, OF whom
about 1900 are engaged in the Coast
Artillery and detained to the manage
ment and use of the guns in the
forts and batteries that protect our
/ coasts. The rest of tho army, or
about 0,0oo, is the mobile part of
our national forces and Is divided
into 81 regiments of infantry, includ-
ing the Porto Rican regiment. 10 reg
iments OF cavalry. & regiments OF field
I artillery. corps Of ordnance, of en-
/ gneers, and of signal, quartermas-
ter's department, commissary de-
partment and & medical corps
! The general plan Tor an army of
the United States Mt peace should
be that OF a skeleton organization
with an excess of trained officers ana
thus capable OF rapid enlargement by
+ eniistfnents, to be supplemented in
emergency by the national militia and
volunteer force.
T. The militia system. for which Com
gress by the Constitution Is author
lied to provide, was developed by the
-o-called Dick law, under which the
discipline, the tactics. the drill, the
rank. the uniform and the various
/ branches of the militia are assimi-
lated as far az possible to those of
the regular army. There Is
now pending in Congress a bill re-
pealing the present volunteer act and
making provision for the orEanixa-
ton Of volunteer forces in time OF
war. which Is admirably adapted to
meet the extgencies which would be
then presented. The passage OF the
bill would not entail a dollars ex-
pense upon the government at this
time, or in the future. until war
comes. but when war does come the
methods therein directed are in ac-
cordance with tho hest military judg-
ment as to what they ought to be,
and the act would prevent the neces-
sity for the discussion. of new leEts-
latlon and the delays incident to its
consideration and adoption. l earn
estly urge the passage OF this volun-
teef DILL
further recommend that Congress
establish a commission to determine
az early as practicable a comprehen-
sive policy for the organization. mo-
bilization and administration of the
regular army. the organized militia,
and the volunteer forces n the event
OF war.
Need for Additional OfIicers.
! One OF the great difficulties In the
prompt organization and mobiliza-
ton of militia ara volunteer forces
| is the absence OF Competent officers
| of the rank of captain to teach the
/ new army. by the init of the COM
pany, the business OF being soldiers
and Of taking care Of themselves so
as To render effective service. .
In .older that the militia of each
State should be properly drilled ana
made more like tn regular army.
regular army officers should be de-
+ tailed to assist tbs adjutant-general
( of each State in the supervision OF
| the state militia; hut this IL impos-
slble unless proNision Is made by
/ Congress for a Very considerable in
! crease In the number OF comr 4 ,
and field officers al the army. A III
! was pending in the last session of
+ Congress for this purpose. and / earn
4
/ proper development Of republican
/ army. an army, small in the time of
| peace, but possible OF prompt ana
/ adequate enlargement In time OF war.
/ shall become possible under the laws
+ Of the United States
! A bill, the strong arGument for
which can be based on the ground
/ quite similar to that Of the Increased
! officers bill. is the hiil for the in
/ crease OF sixty in the army engineers
! The army engineer are largely en-
/ plcyed In the expenditure of the
monies appropriated for the improve
ment II ri. ers an harlsors.
Publications.
: have sssr'te thet re estimates
fo, a~srrnp itirr fca ~ impro {
ment Of ceas' defenNes n he Unite
St.,tcs shculd be reduced I, mini
= nm, s'hlie 70. FIR the co;npleticn
n tire n~efed riineations I ,,orre-
~ifer II the Philippine Islands an
at Pearl Harhor in the Hawaiian ISL
| ands should he expedited a. much AZ
possible The proposition to make
Oiongapo and Suhig Bay the naval
| base toE the Pacific was given up,
and IS = 10 be, treated merely =