The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-12-09
OUR SCATTERED ARMY.

AIsNJ 4.
/ President Taft in considering military
affairs draws attention to the scattered
forces OF our army. aud the effort OF
| the War Department to remedy tho dc
J fects which this scattered condition iu-
! evitably imposes. We have altogether
| S3.S09 men in the military service
lpropcr of tho United States. Besides
these there arc 5000 Philippine scouts.
More than half of the army is taken
In various garrisous in service iu the
| Philippines and other detached service,
which leaves only about 50, ZOO men for
home service; and this nucleus will be
drawn upon further To supply new gar
risons for the great naval base at Pearl
IIarbor and the Notifications at Pana-
MA.
The President is very much in favor
of making the army mobile force, con-
solidating tho scattered fragments that
are distributed throughout tho country
TO no public benefit. He endorses the
comprehensive plan Of army reorganiza.
ton prepared by the war college diyi.
sion Of the general staff. which report
was made public some mont his ago. and
which organized the army into various
divisions to be stationed along our
East and West coasts, with a garrison
or two convenient 30 the Mexican Dor.
der The steps which lie within the
power of the executive to take have
been taken to further this programme,
and Congress is asked to give complete
effect TO the report as presented The
President asks also that power be
given to recruit the regiments up TO
their full strength. and kept so,
AS to the National Guard. the Prosi.
dent states that this has been brought
to stage Of development beyond
which it is not reasonable 10 be pushed
without further direct assistance in the
form of pay to the State Guardsmon
when on duty, from the Federal govern
ment, But as the President argues, this
pay would not be justified unless a
proper equivalent in additional effic-
icncy on the part of the National Guard
is rendered, and in order TO obtain this
efficiency ii will be necessary to remove
the restriction which provides that the
National Guard or organized militia
cannot be ordered outside Of the lin.
It's of the United States, which pre-.
vents it being lawfully used for general
purposes. The National Guard
consists Of only about 10000 men. II
there were a serious war it would be
necessary TO call this into service, and
further legislation is recommended on
this point If tho National Guard were
made completely serviccable on Ma
tlonal lines, then the argument for pay
TO that guard would be complete,
General Wood is IN favor of uniyor.
sal military service. His argument IS
the best that has yet been presented.
IN many ways, for this step. although
1t is not in the least likely that any
thing of the kind Will be done. He ar.
CUES that restraints and discipline seem
TO have been thrown off by our peoplc. |
and we are the most lawless nation on
earth. Family discipline is no longer
enforced, and children grow up without |
restraint, practically their own masters |
There is not in all this any necessary
triminslity, but there is d relaxation |
Of discipline and throwing off of re. |
straiut which makes US practically a
awless people, Therefore. We have
moro homicides than any other people,
md lyncbipgs, practically unknown
elsewhere, We grow up in disregard
If rules and regulations, and with lit
lie respect for law. General Wood S
is that if the Young men Of l.
his country had military training, were
nculcated in habits Of respect for au
hority and obedience to lawful per
onal government. there would be n
'ast Improvement in the attitude of the
General public towards the law the
government, and the flag. The arcn.
nent is plausible one, but it is too
ate in the day to present such an arru
neut as that TO the American people,
5 plea for universal military service;
or they will neither agree TO military
description nor universal military ,,
crvice in any form
There can be no question. however.
mt that the efforts of the War Dcpart.
lent TO consolidate the army and
make It an effective and a larncr
orce ought to be rurthercd by
congress through such legislation as
'lil be helpful TO meet the needs.