New-York tribune., 1910-11-26
FOR RESERVE ARMY
OF 100000 MEN
General Leonard Wood Urges Its
Establishment, Also a VOL
unteer Army.
NOW UnPREPARED FOR WAR
Greater Supply of Field Artillery
and Coast Defence Ammuni-
tion Wanted-Many De-
fects in Service.
TFrom TIE Tribune Bureau. !

TFrom Tte Tribune B1reau-1
Washington. Nov. 25-That the army
Of the United States is woefuIIy unpre-
Iared for war with any first class power
is the conviction Of Major General
Leonard Wood the chief Of staff. whose
annual report on the needs OF the mill
tary establishment has just been CON-
pleted- General Wood declares that this
state Of unpreparedness is due princt-
raIly TO two causes. the lack Of any
sufficient preparation for a mobile army
and the failure Of the War Department.
t9 assemble anxadequate reserve of war
material. The chief of staff does not
dwell at, length on ali the facts which
have lei TO his conclusion, but he has
submitted detailed reports TO the Secre-
tary of War and is prepared 10 go before
committee of Congress and urge that
the present condition be remedied.
General Wood calls attention TO tho
small size of the regular army and the
constantly decreasing number Of In
structed militia. and declares that it is
imperatively necessary that immediate
steps should be taken to organize a
proper reserve. consisting Of not less
than three hundred thousand men from
which the regular and militia organiza-
tions can promptly be filed 10 war
strength with instructed men. and from
which new organiza tiOns can be formed
With this end in view he declares that
a reserve organization should be started
| Immediately. 70 which those men alone
should be eligible who have served in
either the regular army or the organized
militia These men, he says should
receive a small monthly pay and in re-
turn should keep the War Department.
informed of their addresses and should
be required To attend the annual manGu-
vres. receiving full pay.
Believes Plan Feasible.
This report" General Wood continues.
/ is not the proper place to present the
details Of this scheme. but il IS believed
that it is feasible one and one which,
| if carried out inteIligentIy. woUH add
greatly to our military efficiency and re-
suit within ten years in a reserve con-
sistfng of not less than 100000 men who
have served in. the regular army or tbs
militia
| General Wood strongly advocates the
/ passage of the bill now before Congress
providing for the raising Of 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 Its passage was recommended in
a special message by President ROose-
veIt in which il was said that the meas
ure had the hearty approval OF Mr. Taft,
who was then Secretary Of War. The
bill provides for complete reOrganlza-
ton of any force of volunteers that may
hereafter be called out, whether that
force be a single regiment or an army
of million men. II harmOntzes with the
militia organizations under the Dick act
and with existing law governing the
regular army General Wood says that
if this bill becomes a law it will be pos
sibla for the general staff TO make de-
tailed plans for carrying it into execution
in the event of war. He says II VIII
cost nothing in time of peace and would
save the government millions of dollars
In case of war The present law IS 40
unsatisfactory and vague that the gen.
eraI staff cannot make preparations IN
advance for its execution in the event
of war.
Deficient in Guns and Ammunition.
Discussing his second reason for the
startling statement concerning the IN
preparedness of the United States-tne
lack of adequate reserve Of war materiai
General Wood says:
..One of the most serious matters con-
fronting the War Department at this
time is the question of reserve anlrnuni-
tiGn and supplies. a large measure 5S
upon citizen sOidiery brought
into the service OF the United states
after war is declared has always been =
recognized policy of the United States
Such sOIdiery will be OF no value II We
are not prepared to give them arms and
ammunition when they are orSanlze q
We have accumulated a considerable
supply of small arms and small arms
ammunition. but We are sadly deficient
in the reserve supply of field artillery
and field artillery ammunition. and OF
reserve coast ammunition At the pres
emf rate of appropriations it is esti-
mated 10 take more than nifty years %
secure reasonable supply OF ammuni-
tion for the coast defenCes. and a still
longer time TO secure u reasonable sup
plv of field artillery guns, carriages AMI
ammunition The quota Of field artillery
is based upon the number of small arms
which has already been provided by Con-
gressionaI appropriations The existing
want OF field artillery guns. carriages
and ammunition constitutes a grave
menace 10 the public safety in time %
war
Ordinary prudence would seem 70
dictate therefore. that appropriations for
field artillery. guns, carriages and am
rnunition and for reserve ammunition
for the sea coast artillery. should be very
greatly increased. once a state of war
exists there will be no opportunity 10
buv this material abroad or time To
il at home, even IL all
available plants We're running at maxi
mum capacity, without such delay as
would be fatal To our hopes Cf success
The shortage of field artillery material
is the most serious feature of the pres
ent military situation. and one which
should be Immediately corrected" ."
other needs of the service General
Wood says are the addition of 610 Off
GERS To replace those detailed from line
duties for stan and militia work the
cuncent tcatiOn II the army at large posts
the re-estabiishment of the canteen and
inc of ho