The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1912-12-12

construction Tor 1919 arc xlT,uUO,UUV
less than for 1913.
The president then explained at
some length the national reserve as.
soSiation system recommended By the
monetary con mission and urged con
gress to examine the plan impartially
from all standpoints and then to adopt
some plan which will secure the bene-
FITS desired
Concerning the tarlfr he had little to
say In view OF the fact that n new
congress has been elected on plat
form Of tariff for revenue only.
Army Reorganization.
Our small army now consists IL
SO, 500 men, excluding the 5000 Philip
pine. scouts. Leaving on. OF consid.
Grafton the coast artillery force
whose position is fixed In our various
seacoast defenses, and the present
gariBons OF our various insular pos.
sessions, we have today within the
continental United States q mobile
arr;y OF only about 35 900 men. This
little force must DO still further
drawn upon TO supply the new garri.
sons for the great naval base which
is being established at Pearl Harbor
In the Hawaiian islands, and TO pro
tect the locks now rapidly approach.
Ing completion at Panama. The
forces remaining In the United States
are now scattered in nearly Atty
posts. situated for variety OF his.
torical reasons In twenty.four states
These posts contain only fractions OF
regiments. averaging less than 700
men each. In time OF peace It has
been our historical policy TO admins
ter these units separately by geo
graphical organization. In other
words. our army In time OF peace has
never been q united organization but
merely scattered groups OF compa'
MES. battslions and regiments, and
the first task in time OF war has been
to create out OF these scattered units
an army At for effective teamwork
and cooperation.
To the task OF meeting these pat
ent defects, the war department has
been addressing itself during the past
year A comprehensive plan OF re-
organization was prepared by the
war cole e division OF tho general
STAFF. This plan was thoroughly dis.
cussed last summer at series OF
open conferences held by the secre-
tary OF war and attended by repre-
sentatives from all branches OF the
army and from congress-. In printed
form II has been distributed TO mem.
bers OF congress and throughout the
army and the national guard. and
widely through Institutions OF learn
ing and elsewhere In the United
States. In It, for the first time. we
have tentative chart for future
progress.
Under the influence OF this study
definite and effective steps have
been taken toward army reorganiza
ton so far M such reorganization
lies within the executive power
Hitherto there has been no difference
OF policy In the treatment OF the or
ganizatiou Of our foreign Earrisons
from those OF troops within the Unit.
ed States. The difference OF situa-
ton is vital, and the foreign garrison
should be prepared TO defend itself
at an instant's notice against foe
who may command the sea Unlike
the troops In the United States, II
can not count upon reinforcements
or recruitment. 1t IL an outpost.
upon which will fall the brunt Of tho
first attack In case OF war The his
torlca! policy OF the United States Of
carrying its regiments during time Of
peace at half strength has no applI.
cation TO our foreign garrIsons. Dur.
ing the past year this defect has
been remcdIod az TO the Philippines
garrison The former garrison OF -
reduced regiments has been replaced
by garrison OF six regiments at full
strength, giving fully the same mum.
Der OF rlhemen at an estimated
economy in cost Of maintenance II
over 81 O0O.0 900 per year This gard
son is to be permanent It's regimen.
tai units. instead of being transferred
periodically back and forth from the
United States, will remain In the
islands. The officers and men com.
posing these units Will, however
serve regular tropical detail as
usual, thus involving no greater hard,
ship upon the personnel and greatly
increasing the effectiveness OF tho
garrison. a similar policy Is pro
posed for the Hawaiian and Panama
garrisons as fast rs the barracks for
them are completed. strongly urge
upon congress that the necessary up.
preparations for this purpose should
be promptly made. It is, in my opin.
ion OF first importance that these
national outposts, upon which a suc.
cessful home defense will, primarily
depend. should be finished and placed
in effective condition at the earliest
possible day
Tho Homo Army.
simultaneously with the foregoing
steps the war department has been
proceeding with the reorganization
OF the army at home. The formerly
dlsassociated units are being united
into a tactical organization OF three
divisions, each consisting OF two OF