The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-07

immediately raised to full strength. But
 our laws have provided no means by
 which this could be accomplished, or by
 which the losses of the regiments when
 once sent to the front could be repaired. | In this respect we have neglected the lessons learned by other nations. The new law provides that the soldier, after
 serving four years with coors, shall pass into reserve for three years At his
 option he may go into the reserve at the
 end of three years, remaining there for
 four years While in the reserve he
 can be called to active duty only in case of war or other nationai emergency, and when so called and only in such case
 will receive a stated amount of pay for all of the period in which he has been
 member of the reserve. The legislation
 is imperfect, in my opinion, in certain particulars, but it is a most important step in the right direction, and I earn estly hope that it will be carefully
 studied and perfected by Congress. The National Guard
 Under existing law the national guard constitutes, after the regular army, the first line of national defense. It's organi
 zation, discipline, training, and equip
 ment, under recent legislation, have been | assmilated, as far as possible, to those
 of the regular army, and it's practical efficiency, under the effect of this train ing has very greatly increased. Our citizen soldiers under present conditions have reached a stage of development be- yond which they cannot reasonably be asked to go without further direct as- sistance in the form of pay from the fed eral government On the other hand, such pay from the national treasury would not be justified unless it produced a proper equivalent in additional effici- ency on the part of the National Guard. The organized militia today cannot be ordered outside of the limits of the Uni ted States, and thus cannot lawfully be used for general military purposes. The aofficers and men are ambitious and eager to make themselves thus available and to become an efficient national re- serve of citizen soldiery. They are the only force of trained men, other than the regular army, upon which we can rely. The so-called militia pay bill, in the form agreed on between the authorities of the war department and the represent
 atives of the National Guard, in my opin-
 ion adequately meets these conditions and offers proper return for the pay which 1t is proposed to gicve the Ma tional Guard. 1 believe that it's enact ment into law would be a very long step toward providing this nation with d first line of citizen soldiery, upon which it's
 main reliance must depend in case Of any
 
 ganization of the National Guard into | tactical divisions, on the same lines as those adopted for the regular army are being formulated by the war college di- vision of the general staff.
 National Volunteers
 The national guard consists of only about 10000 men. In any serious war In the past it has always been necessary and in such a war in the future it doubt less will be necessary, for the nation to depend. in addition to the regular army and the national guard, upon a large | force of volunteers. There is at present no adequate provision of law for the | raising of such force. There is now pending in Congress- however, a bill which makes such provision, and which
 I believe is admirably adapted to meet | the exigencies which would be presented | in case of war. The passage of the bill would not entail dollars expense upon | the government at this time or in the future until war comes. But if war comes the methods therein directed are in ac- cordance with the best military judg- ment as to what they ought to be- and | the act would prevent the necessity for a discussion of any legislation and the delays incident to it's consideration and adoption l earnestly urge it's passa ge.
 Consolidation of Supply Corps The army appropriation act of 1912 also carried legislation for the consolidation l of the quartermaster's department, the | subsistence department and the pay corps into a singe supply department, to be known as the quartermaster corps | It also provided for the organization of | a special force of enlisted men, to be | known as the service corps. gradually to | replace many of the civilian employees engaged in the manual labor necessary | in every army I believe that both of | these enactments will improve the ad-
 ministration of our military establish | ment. The consolidation of the supply | corps has already been effected, and the
 organization of the service corps is be- ing put into effect.
 | All of the foregoing reforms are in the direction of economy and efficiency Ex- cept for the slight increase necessary to garrison our outposts in Hawaii and Pan | anna, they do not call for larger army, but they do tend to produce a much | more efficient one. The only substantial new appropriations required are those which, as l have pointed out, are neces- sary to complete the Qualifications and barracks at our naval bases and out posts beyond the sea.
 Porto Rico
 Porto Rico continues to show notable progress, both commercially and in the spread of education. Its external com
 merce has increased r per cent over the preceding year, bringing the total value
 up to s92 63l, SS6, or more than five times
 the value of the commerce of the island in 1901. During the year 16O 657 pupils
 were enrolled in the public schools as
 against 1i5,525 for the preceding year, and
 as compared with 26OO0 for the first year of American administration. Special ef-