Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-07-27

eTut sIHH.
The plan for the reorganization OF
the army ms drawn up by the general
staT is declared by experts to be the
most important and comprehensive
piece of constructive work along these
lines ever performed In this country.
1t Is Also regarded as marking the first
systematic military policy ever drawn
up for the land forces OF the United
States Some of its details have been
embodied In congressional bills, and
some have been made public In letters
of the secretary of war.
Permanent Expeditionary Force.
The great object sought is the or
/ ganization of the army on footing OF
! constant readiness for war, with per-
4 manent expeditionary force always
( ready for immediate service. In order
! to insure this result 1t Is recommend
ed that the forces liable for duty any
! where be Increased about seven times.
/ In the regular army the highest pro
/ posed unit OF organization is raised,
/ ana the mobile branches, which In
clude all arms except the coast artil-
| lery, are divided into two parts, the
/ foreign and the domestic The domes-
4 tic service is to be kept permanently
/ In continental United States, while the
/ foreign service is to be sent to Ameri-
/ can territory elsewhere, to remain as
an organization outside of this country
( for good.
| In addition to proposal making for
/ the liberalization within constitutional
limits of the present national state
guard the general staff also asks for
the creation of two new types of Amer
lean soldiers-the federal reservist and
the federal volunteer, the latter to be
recruited In time of peace for war serv-
4 ice and held responsible only to the
central government - e
/ The general staff also recommends
/ that the present regular army be re-
/ lleved of police duties In Alaska and
suggests that peace be preserved In
/ that district by federal constabulary
4 to be created by congress. If this sug
gestion becomes law the United States
will have for the first time in its his
tory police force owing its authority
directly TO the federal government
In outlining the importance of this
reorga nization the general staff points
out that the land forces of the United
States are now In no condition to face
the armies of a first class power and
maintains that the necessity for this
country so to prepare itself is immedi-
ate and imperative.
Whatever our military institutions
may be-" says the report, eve must
recognize the fundamental fact that
victory is the reward of superior force
4 that modern wars are short and de-
cisiye and that trained armies alone
can defeat trained armies"
The report refers to the "close con-
tact recently established" between
great nations and the races" con-
tact which tends to become continu-
ally closer, due TO the increase of pop
ulation and national needs"
The report then goes on to say:
with this close contact, thus so re
Gently established, comes competi
ton, commercial, national and racial
whose ultimate seriousness current
events already enable us 10 gauge.
Since our conflict with Spain in 1898
practically all of the principal nations
OF the earth have either been actively
engaged In war or else brought to the
verge OF actual war. The evidence is
clear that the nations and races capa-
BILE of maintaining and protecting
themselves are the only ones who can
flourish in this world competition.
Half a Million In the First Line.
In the light of present day condi-
lions II is estimated that at the out.
break of war with first class power
we should be capable Of mobilizing at
once in the United States an effective
force of 1000 mobile troops and AZ,
600 coast artillery; that this is the min
imum number of first line troops nee.
essary, and that TO augment this force
and replace its losses we should have
plans made for raising Immediately an
additional force of 100000 men. All
OF these forces should be available for
service anywhere.
The present land forces of the United
States comprise in the regular army
about $4,000 men, out Of total Of
about 95,500 authorized. and In the ma,
tional guard about $4,000 men The
national guard is not liable for duty on
foreign soil, though it can volunteer for
this service,
In order to raise the complement OF
trained men. the general staff proposes
TO augment the standing army BY
changing the terms 5of the present. en-.
listment contract TO conform 10 the
fprsctice adopted in all other modern
armies" \,
eft is only necessary 70 nrovi1e savs