The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-19
WAXING A VOLUNTEER ARMY.

10 I'M EDITOR bF M ~ wv '''t-
many ha. an army OF an. 80 trained soldiers
Japan can pat nm equal number OF men
into tn. reld IA two weeks. most % whom
have zen at least 4 wears service on the
battleheld~ OF Manchurla
Ths United States cannot put ons-hfth
Of this number Of trained men into the field.
aud there would be no more trained soldiers
for rrenforcements We depend un our
first line troops militia and regulars only
a. a buffer until We can organize a NOlun-
te-r army.
What II the minimum time in which a vol
untser army can be raised. equipped and
trained Not an army that would hight
HALL Kun. but one that can night an Antietam
or a Getty sburg. The making Of soldier
has two phases that one commonly known
a. recruit drill and the instruction re
c-ived after the recruit Is turned To duty
with his company. the end and aim OF which
Is team work
The recruit must learn the school Of the
soldier without arms. tn. school OF the
soldier with arms. the school Of the squad
without arms. clos and extended order
the school OF the squad with arms Close aud
extended order manual OF arms. bayonst
exercises. trumpet calls
The recruit must also he put IN shape 90
stand the tremendous strain OF war. else he
breaks down and becomes only burden.
dspriying the Government not only OF his
own services but also OF those OF the men
, needed To take care Of him Therefore he
must he exercised in running. ply steal
dr,il and other ply ical exercises. lie must
learn the elements OF guard duty. care Of
his person. clothing and equipment. and
last, hut not least. how to sight his rife and
pun the trigger 80 IA to hit mark. even
though at short range. about fifty yards
AZ most
| The Germans dew te eight hour. day for
thirty six weeks to this recruit drill. The
American recruit. who IL more receptive.
can he taught these things in fourteen weeks,
working i've hours a day. This IL expert
ence. not theory.
Now tn. soldier Is made. according To the
, popular conception. We are told that In
fourteen weeks We have trained a man for
modern battle. What have We taught him:
Physically. h.. has only the foundation for
the additional toughening PROCESS he must
undergo before he can he depended upon Ia
get there and still he able To night. he
can handle his rifle and even hit mark a.
som. nifty yards hut he lacks ent rely that
training in long distance and Held firing
which will enable him to ht an tndistinct
target at half or three quarters az a mile
and the team work dn rifle fire.. more n""rs-
~sry to the success Of the military orRanizl-
tion than To TIA. victory of the football squad,
- ~ i'll to he learned
The recruit can keep step. obey commands
fairly we'll and drill but here again he
has only taken the first step toward the
team work that will keep company an the
irins line and enabl. it to attack success
fully. n. knows camp guard duty. but
almost nothing OF outpost guard duty.
patrols. advance and rear guard work
He knows how to carry his intrenc ring tool
but not how Ia Use 10, an art IN it-elf There
fore in addition to his recruit drill. after
he has been turned to duty with hii COM
pany. hs and HIS companions must learn
many things For instance. he should have
two weeks company close and extended
order drill four weeks target practice,
including field firing eight weeks patrol.
advance guard rear guard work. u-" OF
cover ia attack and defence. attack over
VA r.d ground four weeks marching. camp
ing cooking. manruNr ring, touRheninR. In
all Their. must 10 thirty-two weeks. or
eight months devoted so the making ~ our
foot soldier. regular or volunteer. provided
there IL trained officer Tor each Ntty men
and A trained mono oTnin --iuncd officer for
every twelve priVat-~ There must Ne five
hours instruction "A day
ndrr our present organization these
ne, .--ary drill masters 'sn h" secured only
toy taking them from m" first llns troops.
already too weak should the plan III tho
hief Of STAFF to furnish extra oflI,-r- and
noncnrnmi--inned officers for duty with the
militia in tim" Of peace he adopted nv Con-
xr.-s. these inst ructor-, on the declaration
of war could b. used Ia organize. epCip
and train the volunteer army Since at
present this plan ha- not been approved by
Congress Ne must add at least two months
for time lost due To lack of proper dTiH
masters and instru.tar> Besides the ahov"
instruction of the private. the officer and
non. otnin iss lOned officer have mllltifari"u-
duties peculiarly their own. -u' h a. troop
Leading and administration. map reading. So
Thi- gives ~ ten months in all The tram
ing ~ outlined l. absolutely necessary for
volunteers to put them IN the Held. II w. are
no, To have "A succession 81 Bull Runs ~
IN. BEGINNING of the civil war III" south WA
without trained men ,fter Ia" FIRST Hull
Run ten months elapsed hsior" IN" Mon
army Wa- sufficiently trained tn BE- IN con
CiitIon to undertake another oncn-lN" move
m-nt ,Penin-uar campaign Fortunately
for the North. the south was IN no better
condition and Was unable tO follow up her
ADVANTAGE Both sides wers busy N" first
scar organizing and training volunteer
aru."-
In any war with a first class Power. such
A. GERMANY or Japan, our aYaIlahl" militia
and regular mobile army, probably not more
than lcUt-n maximum, would b" from the
first shot mp against- $4,000" or on,"1
trained soldiers Their" would be n" breath
spell IN " men We tDl4li fht-e' '-'tllli' anu
train a large volunteer army Moreover.
for tbs. first year at least the foreign Power
could raI-.. volunteers a. fast as We could
What would have happened after the
first Bull Run II the North had been pItted
against Grrmany.or Japan with An army Of
oDn. ,sn trained soldiers ready for immediate
battle what would happen to-day w"r" ws
suddenly ca He'd gpon to oppose Theses immense
armies with our I, ~. csp first line troops
From the time Of the fr-t call for Nolln-
'esr- in IN. ni'ed States ~ least ten months
must elaI,-.' before the first volunteer army
could be- raised. equipped and property
trained for successful ha''le Therefore
ot.f i.r-r line regulars. militia and reserves
and We nav" No r.-"rv"- now, must he.
strong enough ia bear IN" hrunt Of the
fighting for ten months from III" declaration
Of war In addition W. should have extra
regular army officers and nonc"mmi -~Ionrd
officers sufficient for the training ~ th" oil
tIni."r army IN the shortest possible tim"
Congress. ia the Mc Laughlin resolution
last session. asked the War Department
= A., Ina, .k. -.