The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-09
IHlNKSOUR ARMY'S TOO SMALL
ON 2. ID. GRANT tDDS IT
tLUilS mas HEE<.
On ne, oiusion AMI Ever since Its sire
Has Coat Is In Hood and Treasure
Fighters and Descendants sS Ftght.
rrs Applaud Sis words as lDtnner

Gen Frederick Dent Grant laid aside
h.s !yar ut the dinner of the New York
{ orlmandery OF the Military Order Of
Foreign Mars at the Waldorf last night
and told the guests som. things about
our army. which he doesn't think IL large
enough. One has To hav. fought In ,ome
wa OF thus country with IA foreign nation
or Ice u direct descendant of some tighter
to be a member OF the order 50 the
medalled diners applauded vigorously
when Gen Gran, said: The unwise
policy "f keeping our standing army
Ia Its minimum strength has been the
ciis. of enormous expense TO the United
States both IN blood and treasure
He went on tn explain ho~ this was go.
saying II at IN. time OF the Revolu-
tlonary' War the United States had Ia d
an army of 2a.n'Do men there would have
been much lees loss to us in blood and
money and ia. war would have been sooner
over The diners Looked curiously at
one another AT this statement but the
Genera! Won't right on reading from his
manuscript
Also in the war Of isla u tho country
had had AN army % - ma or l5.OoO mon
tlsr" would have been far greater credit
such an army then the war would prob
ably not have occurred /, IN isdi We
had then been abIo TO have had a stand
ing army Of io,oD regulars a. our dis
posal he great civil war would hsvc been
but a fash in the pan and would have
been ovor IN loss Ihan year
He spoke of the speed with which the
Mexican and spanish American wars
wore cldei and said:
A necessity has arisen now for main
tanning an army that can uphold our
dignity in the eyes Of the other Powers
A comparatively small bus efficiently
trained army can overcome any number
u moa untralnoi To military pursuits
no matter how large they be.
He told 81 the advances thar have been
made in military warfare. OF tho Increase
81 rho range Of guns and go on, ard then
turning to the chairman Of he dinner
Commander Amory . tarhart. said very
slowly
Our regular army as It IL now without
being Increa led. ~ not large enough to
meet any of the great armies Of the world
But ne went on TO explain that IL was a
grea; school os instruct ion for young sol
a - and thrt II IL on tho highest posi- ole
pl ne IN that IL includes everything for the
d.velopment of humT nifty and the protsc-
ton o. life md property. The General then
rsckoned mp the fighting line Of the United
Stst.s and laid that II was composed Of
q total in the regular army Of 90 ia men
and that II You added To that the technical
troop. such a. the Philippines scouts and
the officers there would he . standing
army 81 So .B.a men and with the addition
of trained army men now in civil life we
can count on q standing army Of from
I25 OOO 20 10000 men.
Any call for a greater number said
the speaker. would bring out citizens
larL -
policy 81 IN. United States TO augment
are very earnest in their wor.
Their has ! cen the greatest improve
m"nt N tho last five or siA years in
our militia and u has become Tar more
valuable in hat time. but the one din
Guilty that confronts IL - the fact that ste
ranks are composed az men husily en-
gagged in other than military pursuits
Then he turned TO the other side Of the
army and said that lt was great human
machine ~ which peace is maint aimed
and that II il an instrument 10 restore
peace when war is brought OH He
greatly doubted that Hague conference.
and peace tribunals could ever bring
perfect peace hut u they did. and he said
he hoped they would. still the army would
be needed for internPl disturbances
The Rev David Burrell spoke on the
need FOR conserving those qualities that
war brings out by peaceful means and
prophesied that II would be possible in
times Of peace for men To exhibit courage. |
observance Of discipline. definite purpose
and all the other traits 40 nof,cea bile in
we'll trained army. He was followed by
Gen Charles =. Roe. who spoke for the
militia
AT the election OF officers held during
the dinner, Amory y. Carhart was made
command-r Of the Military Order. David
Banks. Jr.. secretary. and Lawrence
Lewis Gillespie. treasurer.