Arizona republican., 1914-12-13
GARRISON FOR
 MORE RECRUITS
ASSOCIATED PRESS DIspArcH1

recruited to US full war strength, which would mean the addition of 25,0O0 men and 1000 officers, is urged by Secre- tary Garrison of the war department. in his annual report presented to President Wilson
 Such an increase would give the regular army a total of about 10000 men, of whom 50,000 would be avail able as a mobile fighting force in the continental United States The pres ent mobile strength is 3l,O0O, the sec retary points out. which soon will be cut in half by additions to the garri- sons in the Canal Zone, Hawaii and the Philippines.
 The report directly mentions the Flu ! ropean war but once
 "It would be premature" it says, ito ] attempt now to draw the ultimate les sons from the war in Europe It is an imperative duty, however, to heed so much of what it brings home to us as IS incontrovertible and not to be changed by any event, leaving for later and more detailed and comprehensive consideration what it's later develop ments and final conclusions may indi- cate
 Tn addition to strengthening the regular establishment, the secretary urges that steps be taken at once to create a more adequate reserve army He dismisses as impracticable talk of immediate disarmament. and as groundless fears of militarsm in America, and recommends military pre- paredness on the ground that eternal , vigilance is the price which must be paid in order to obtain the desirable things of life and to defend them" Whatever the future may hold in the way of agreements between na- tions, followed by actual arbitration and other greatly to- be- desired meas tres to lessen or prevent conflict be- tween nation and nation says the re- port, we all know that at present these conditions are not existing. We can and will eagerly adapt ourselves to each beneficent development along these lines. 70 merely enfeeble our selves in the meantime would in my view, be unthinkabe folly By neglect ing and refusing to provide ourselvc- with the necessary means of self-pro- tection and sclf-defense we could not hasten or in any way influence the ul- timate results we desire in these re- spects.''
 The present full war strength of the United States is summarized by the report as follows:
 "The organized militia of the various states totals S,323 officers and l19,0S7 men. The enlisted men. therefore, re- quired. in order to obtain the financial aid which the congress authorizes the secretary of war to extend under cer- tain conditions to attend A drills year and five days annually in the \ field. If all of the National Guard could be summoned in the event of war and should all respond tan incon ceivable result, and if they were all found fairly efficient in the first line that is, the troops who would be eX- pected to immediately take the field we could summon force in this coun- | try of regulars and National Guard amounting to 9,SlS officers and 14S.- 492 men. This would include only in the United States proper.
 And this is absolutely all The only other resources would then be volun- teers. and to equip, organize, train and make them ready would take, at the smallest possible estimate, six months. l Anyone who takes the slightest ; trouble to investigate will find that in modern warfare prepared enemy would progress so far on the way to success in six months, if his antago- | ,,fC him. that such unprepared antagonist might as well concede defeat without contest
 Of the efficiency of the present army MT. Garrison says:
 While our existing organization is of the exceedingly small numbers all ready mentioned. it is unquestionably in as excellent condition as any similar number of men in any other military establishment in the world. Were it not for desire to avoid invidious com parisons I should say that man for man, it is better than any similar eX- istng military establishment in the world. l do not believe that anyone will dispute the statement that the army has never been in better condi- ton that it is today, from he most recently enlisted man up to the high est officers. There is an esprit de corps an eagerness to constantly strive toward perfection, a willingness to un- dertake and satisfactorily perform any and every duty, that is most commend able and encouraging
 Passing to the need for a larger ar my, regular and reserve, the secretary discusses at some length peace and the use of the word "militarism,' touching upon the mooted question of whether military preparation tends to prevent war.
 Tt is, of course, not necessary to dwell on the blessings of peace and the horrors of war;" he says. Every one desires peace, just as every one de- sires health, contentment. affection, sufficient means for comfortable ex- ,stenee, and other similarly beneficent things. But peace and the other states of being just mentioned are not always or even often solely within ones own icontro It may truthfully be said that eternal vigilance is the price which must be paid in order to obtain the desirable things of life and to defend them.
 Tn the early history of our nation there was a natural, almost inevitable, abhorrence of military force, because it connoted military despotism. Most, if not all, of the early settlers in this country came from nations where few powerful persons tyranically im-