The chronicle=news., 1913-11-12

Nanuthktou. NOV ls-t4nt year
the Kcaeral staff OF the army made
tn exhaustive report on The Organ
izaiion Of the Land Forces Of the
United States which has resolved
too little attention. as IL embodied
the results 0f the most careful study
Of the problem from every point Of
View.
The traditional policy Of the Unit
ed states 10 thst the military -stab-
lishment In time OF peace must con-
n!xt Of y SMALL regular army. and
thst in time OF trouble the country
must depend for iis defense largely
upon . great army Of citizen soldiers.
There il NO suggestion thst this pol
Icy shall be- change but IN the opin.
Ion OF students In the art of war. and
statesmen who have given the sub
pcct broad confederation. u plan
should be- adopted for the training Of
military force that could bc called
10 the eoiors In time Of need.
In the report Of the general staff
this illustration Is used to show tho
necessity Of military training: Bull
Run dIsorsanizcd both armies. One
Was denorniised by defeat. aud the
other BY victory" and 1T WAS not
until 1863 that the armies confront
ed each other ~ complete and cffec.
tive military teams" This further
statement Is made: But while the
history Of the Civil War is ins,ruc-
tive ~ record Of military evolution.
II cannot be Invoked ax guide Of
military policy. for We can count up
on II that. la our career M world
power, no serious competitor will cv-
or oppose US with cxtcmpOriscd arm
les
The volunteer armtcs Of the Unit
I'd States have performed prodigIcs In
the field. and there b none to Iucs-
ton the colursgc they have displayed
In aii the wars Of this country: but
their service Was Invariably attend
Cd BY enormous sacrifices. which
would have boon greatly reduced hal
they been trained in the business OF
fighting. The present Idea II not to
Increase the standing army. bu, to
build up reserve which can be
called into active service the moment
the country IL threatened with At.
tack. General Leonard Wood. the
head Of the army. says:
I'm case OF war with first-clsss
power II would be- necessary for "
to mobilize about 5000 men. We
have only about 10000 men In the
regular army who could he put into
the field. and there are only about
49, 900 fairly wcll-uaincd militia
that would he available for service
In the field. We should be compelled
to raise an army Of $4,000 addition
al troops mud something like 1900"
officers. to place this country in cf-
fcctivc lighting condition. and this
new army would not I've effective for
good service without training. and II
could not be well trained after the
fighting had bsEln. What Is needed
Is u reserve. md this reserve should
be organized In time Of peace NO that
II would be ready for Immediate ser
vice In time of war. In this reserve
men OF suitable age should be enlist
ed who have had honorable service
In the army. the Marine Corps. or the
militia, for u period Of three years.
This would not be only sound mill
.ary policy but sound economy also.
as 1t would insure reasonable pre-
paredncss for war, would interfere
10 the least extent with the civil and
Industrial pursuits Of the individual; !;
would, indeed. send him back into
private life q better citizen. and with
a greater respect for the flag and for
law and order. II would give US back
ot tho first line u body Of trained SOL
dicrs ready for immediate service.
ten of whom could be maintained for
the cost OF one man with the colors.
II would limit the period of cn-
listment in the regular urmy to three
years. and would have few re-cnlist-