The Washington times., 1913-08-26


have any bearing on atfuture course of
this Government toward Mexico, Off
GERS of the army and navy are making
! quiet preparations for changes and i'm
provements in both branches of the
service. These preparations. coupled
with a speech made yesterday at Den
Yer by Secretary of War Garrison, de-
ploring the ''unpreparedness" of this
country Tor war, are taken as signifi-
cant.
First in Importance are preparations
being made by the Navy Department
for war test by the Marine Corps,
20 be held next fall, when, at a given
signal. all the marines at the Philadel-
phia advance base. numbering 1000, will
be rushed on the old army transport
| Hancock and sent to Guantanamo for
the purpose OF determining how quickly
the force can be embarked, provisioned.
and landed.
At the Navy Department it is stated
that the training at the advance base
has been such as to enable the marines
to set sail for any given point. com
pletely assembled and provisiOned. in
twelve hours time. The war test" will
determine the accuracy of this promise
Dearth of Torpedoes.
The Navy Department is also con-
cerning itself with the dearth OF tor
pedoes available for the navy and the
discovery that war torpedoes are not
to be had 1t the present time from
private contractors at any price. These
contractors, il Is stated. are now loaded
up with foreign orders, and that every
available torpedo has been snapped Off
the market by foreign powers. For
this reason the department is about to
urge on Congress the necessity of pro-
/ Niding funds with which to enlarge the
Government torpedo plant at Newport.
Along the same fines of significant
preparations for emergencies, the War
Department is contemplating seeking
authority TO send the militia Of the
country INTO foreign clmes. The OFF,
GERS of the department declare, how
ever, that their only desire in seeking
this authority is to make the army and
militia a more effective combination.
In his sIsech at Denver. Secretary
Garrison. who has been inspecting the
army posts Of the West and middle
West, called attention TO the fact that.
at the present time. the mobile regular
army consists OF but 900 men, or little
more than three times the number of
policemen employed in the city OF New
York. In time of war. said Mr. Garrl-
son. the country would need at least
COO. OO troops starter, whereas.
even with the assistance of the trained
State militia. il would have available
but 80 O0D. He declared that he was
considering. as remedy Tor the falllnS
of in enlistments. a reduction In the
term of service. and added that he
would recommend to Congress that the
authorized strength Of the standing
army be increased
Army Needs Double Strength.
Major General w. w. Wotherspoon.
assistant chief Of staff. declares that
the standing army should be more
than doubled.
That Congress might be induced, If
pressure were brought, however. to
provide for increasing the size of the
regular army is indicated by state
ment made by Congressman Kahn of
California. ranking Republican MEM
Der of the House Committee on Mill
tary Affairs.
in his declaration that the nation is
wholly unprepared for war. The
standing army should be more than
doubled, General WOtherspoon be
lieves. The present strength of each
company, he says is siXty-five, the
war strength is $50.
ct is impossible to put eighty-tve
recruits into company of siNty-hVe
men and call that company trained
company" General WOtherspoOn as
serts He says there should be
standing army of 1870, 900 men, instead
of the 60 900 a. present. with proviS-
ion for a reserve which could. in war
time, swell this number to 250000.
Not Ready for Crisis.
Secretary Of War GarrisOn's latest
expression on the subject of the ma
tons unrreraredness. which was
made in q speech at Denver vester-
day was tn. subject OF comment in
army and navy circles today. Sec
rotary Garrison declared that "if
crisis should come to this country,
we would be absolutely unprepared
to meet II"
Il want to impress upon you" SeCre-
tary Garrison said. that we have just
33, 900 men ready now and trained for
warfare, just three times the number of
the police Of New York. With the addi-
tion of the National Guard. the number
would be run up to $4,000. If the
United States should be plunged into
conflict with first class power II would
mean that an army of 60O,0 900 men
would be necessary within thirty days,
for within that time the opposing nation
would be attempting to land troops on
our shores
The other 10000 men," he said.
should not be unframed recruits. but
Secretary, there is only one way to get
them ."