The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1914-01-30
RECOMMENDS
RESERVE OF
J 0FE|GERS
Chief Of STAFF Would Have -Four
Hundred Military school Grad
yates a Year Commissioned as
Second ISeutenants- Urges the
Short enlistment Term for Men
in the Ranks.

An increase Of twelve battalions Of
field artillery in Ave yearly iRcrements,
the creation Of sufficient infantry reei.
ments to permit the organization Of
three infantry divisions, or one field
army, are among the important recon-
mendations contained in the annual re.
port Of MAJ, Gen. Leonard Wood, chief
of STAFF Of the Army, just made public.
( The report is General Wood s last
one, as he will be relieved as mem
Der Of the general stan next April,
The chief Of staff says that the uni
ted States Army, reinforced by. the en-
tire organized militia forces Of the sew.
eral States, has neither the officers,
men, field and siege guns, nor artillery
ammunition which would be required in
the first few weeks Of war with any
first-class power. He holds that ARE
serve of trained men available. for duty
with the United States forces In the
event of war Is the chief need In con
nection with the maintenance Of milf
tary defenses. Next in Importance he
places the urgent need for more field
artillery to bring that arm Of the ser
vice up TO the minimum amount re.
CURED in proportion TO the number Of
other troops.
Cut Out Dead Wood.
General Wood recommends the crea.
tion Of ten additional regiments TO per-
NIT the organization Of three completes
infantry divisions. He also favors the
elimination from the service Of all Of.
feefs who have either outlived their
efficiency or who have failed to make
themselves useful f no 0f
Encouragement Of rife practise
among civilians and school boys; ex-
pansion of the army camps for college
students, established experimehtally
last summer; more strict supervision of
state militia organizations aud insist
enee that the colleges receiving federal
hand funds conforms to the letter and
spirit Of the law In the metter Of mill
tary instruction and drill among their
students are among other recommends.
tions NI " N'4'H
es Mobile Army Deficient.
General Wood says that the mobile
army within the limits Of the United
States is 50 small as to provide only
six per cent of the force required in q
conflict with ~ frst-class nation The
militia forces number about nineteen
per cent, of the total number required,
bringing the entire trained force avail
able at call TO arms today to only
twenty-five per cent Of the nnmber re.
quiFed at the outset. - Or *E
Worse Than Useless 90 "
"Seventy-fve per cent, therefore,
says the chief Of staff, 'fof the forces
required at the beginning Of war
would have to be made up Of yolun.
teers-untrained men--whom military
experts regard as worse than useless
until months have been spent in whip,
ing them into shape "a 1890
"To fill up organizations 10 full sta
tutofy strength with uninstructed men
would be to destroy largely their ell
cheney; to fail TO fn them up would
be to leave them SO small that they
would have relatively little powers.
They must be flied up by instructed
men to attain their full efficiency, and
the losses of the first months must be
made up from the same class of men.
This can only be done through . re!
serve, S +.2at
One Year With Colors.s s
Legislation should be had so as to
give an enlistment which viii permit
man 3 transfer to- the reserve after
a year 8 service, provided he is a well
trained soldier as determined by his
company and regimental commanders.
Afsoldier so transferred would serve
/ "A So a..
the status of a soldier on furlough
without pay, but under the obligation
to come to the ieolofs In ease Of war
deemed advisable, for not to exceed
six to ten days every other year.
Whatever system of reserve ID
adopted, it should provide ultimately
for total reserve service of at least
two and one half times the service
with the colorS. Ityneed not be much,
and il is safe to say that we can SCI
cure reserve under conditions as To
cost which will give us ten reservists
for the cost Of one man with the col
ors. One thing Is absolutely certain
and that is that we must have an ade-
quate reserve if we are to consider our
selves IN any way properly prepared
y s-tr
NH. Serious Menace, n.
"of the shortage OF ammunition -
General Wood says; "The existing
shortage constitutes serious menace
to the public safety in case of war.
Once hostilitfes have begun with first
class power there win be no opportun-
ity to purchase abroad nor TO manufae.
ture at home. Even with all the avail.
able plants in the country running 10
the maximum capacity 50 much delay
would ersue as TO Be fatal TO our hopes
OF successful campalgn.'' ri tEftN
General Wood urgently recommends
for the field artillery an increase OF
twelve battalions in FIVE yearly mere.
ments; the immediate organization OF
the ammunition service, the appropria.
ton Of money sufficient to provide sam.
mpnition for the existing guns, and
leglsiauon 10 furnish the desired on,
GERS and frainaH -