The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-12-06

officers and men composing these units
viii. however. serve q regular tropical
4 greater hardship upon the personnel
and greatly increasing the effective
ness OF the garrison. A similar policy
10 proposed for the Hawaiian and Pam
soP tssm sr. Completed s la 'hf TonSIy
urge upon congress that the neces-
sary appropriations for this purpose
should be promptly made
The Home Army.
simultaneously with the foregoing
steps the war department has been
proceeding with the reorganization OF
the army at home. The formerly dis
a tactical organisation Of three divis-
ions each consisting OF two or three
brigades Of infantry and. so far as
practicable, a proper proportion or d.
visionsl cavalry and artillery. or
course the extent TO which this reform
can be carried by the executive IL
practically limited 10 a paper orRAni-
cation. The scattered units can be
brought under proper organization,
but they will remain physically scat
tered until congress supplies the neees-
sary funds for grouping them In more
concentrated posts. Until that il done
the present difficulty OF drilling our
scattered groups together and thus
training them for'the proper team play
can not be removed
Regular Army Reserve.
one OF the most important reforms
accomplished during the past year has
been the legislation enacted in the
army appropriation bill OF last sum
mer providing for a regular army re-
serve. Hitherto our national policy
has assumed that at the outbreak OF
war our regiments would be imme-
diately 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
NH a N
repaired. In this respect We have me-
elected the lessons learned by other
nations The new law provides that
the soldier, after serving four years
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 or war or
other national emergency and when
so called and only In such case will
receive stated amount OF pay for all
OF the period In which he has been
tlon Is imperfect. In my opinion. IN
certain particulars. but II Is most
important step I'm the right direction,
and I earnestly hope that II will be
carefully studied and perfected by con-
gress.
The National Guard.
Under existing law the National
Guard constitutes. after the regular
army. the first line OF national defense
Its organization, discipline. training,
end equipment, under recent legisla-
tion have been assinlilatod. as far as
possible. to those OF the regular army
and It's practical efficiency. under the
effect OF this training, has very greatly
increased. Our citizen soldiers under
present conditions have reached a stage
OF development beyond which thew can
not reasonably be asked TO go without
further direct assistance IN the form
OF paw from the federal government
On the other hand such paw from the
national treasury would not be justified
unless n produced proper equivalent
I'm additional efficiency on the part or
the National Guard The ORGANIZED
MILITIA TODAY can not be ordered out
side OF the limits Of the United states
and thus can not lawfully be used for
general military purposes The ON
GERS q nd men are ambitious ana eager
10 make themselves thus available md
10 become an efficient national reserve
~ citizen soidiery. They are the only
force OF trained men. other than the
regular army upon which We can re-
w Tho so-called militia pay bill, IN
the form agreed on between the author
tiles OF the war department and tho
representatives OF the National Guard.
in my opinion adequately meets these
conditions and offers a proper return
for the pay which II Is proposed to
give TO the National Guard. ! believe
that it's enactment into law would be
a very long step toward providing this
nation with n nrst line of citizen SOL
diery. upon which its main reliance
must depend I'm case OF any national
emergency Plans for the organisation
of tho National Guard into tactical d.
visions. on the same lines ns those
adopted for the regular army, are be-
Ing formulated by the war college d.
vision OF the general stan.
NntionsI Volunteers.
Tho National Guard consists OF only
about 10000 men. In any serious war
In the past II has always been neces-
II doubtless 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
IL at present no adequate provision OF
There 10 now pending in congress, how
ever. a bill which makes such provis-
ion, and which believe Is admirably
adapted TO meet the exiEencies which
would be presented In case or war. The
passage OF the bill would not entail a
dollars expense upon the government
at this time or in the future until war
comes. But II war comes the methods
therein directed are In accorda with
the best military judgment as to what
they ought TO be and the act would
prevent the necessity for discussion
OF any legislation and the DELAYS incl
dent 10 it's consideration and adoption.
I earnestly urge It's passage.
Porto Rico.
Porto Rico continues TO show no.
table progress. both commercially and
in the spread OF education. l believe
that no substantial approved public
opinion I'm abe United states or In Porto
Rico contemplates statehood for the
island as the ultimate form OF relation
between us believe that the aim to
be striven for IL the fullest possible AL
lowance OF legal and fiscal self govern
ment, with American citizenship as the
bond between US; In other words. re-
lation analogous TO the present rela-
tion between Great Britain and sucn
self governing colonies as Canada and
Australia This would conduce to the
fullest and most self-sustalning devei-
opment OF Porto Rico, while At the
same time II would grant her the
economic and political dement's OF being
under the American flag.
Philippines
A bill IL pending In congress- which
revolutioniZes the carefully worked out
Philippine islands are now governed
and which proposes 10 render them vir-
tually autonomous at once and abso-
lutely Independent In eight years. Such
proposal can only be founded on the
assumption that we have now dis
charged our trusteeship to the Filipino
people and our responsibility for them
TO the world, and that they are now
prepared for government as Well
and unbifl ed knowledge OF the Facts
clearly shows that these assumptions
are absolutely without Justification.
in the Philippine islands We have ern-
barkad upon an experiment unprece-
dented in dealing with dependent peo-
Piles. We are developing there condi-
lions exclusively for their own wei