East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-12-11
$4,000 MORE MEN IN
ARMY ARE NEEDED TO
GIVE FULL STRENGTH
SECRETARY OF WAR RECON-.
MENDS ALSO FoR1IATION
OF RESERVE FORCE.
Lesson is Drawn From Struggle Now
Going on In Europe-Short Service
In the Army Advocated In Order
That the Defense OF the Nation May
be Strengthened.

/
|
: WASHINGTON, Dec. ll.-secre
} tary OF war Lndley NJ. Garrison, in hi
! annual report earnestly recommend
: the United States regular army be re-
: cruited to its full strength. which
means an immediate addition OF 25,00C
men. He further recommends thu
formation Of a reserve force. com.
posed Of men who have served year
or IS months In the regular army and
who shall be discharged before theil
terms OF enlistment have expired, but
who shall always be subject to recall
when their country has need OF them
The secretary recommends stim-
liar reserve. body for the National
Guard and insists that some method
be adopted for the training Of more
civilians to become officers in case OF
necessity.
Lessons From European War.
These recommendation Mr.. Garri-
son makes as the result Of lessons al
ready learned from the European
war.
The regular army on June 30, last
consisted of 4701 officers and 87,7S1
men. of whom 1858 officers and H.
sO1 men belong to the Coast artillery,
zoos officers and 1924 men belong
to the staff, technical and noncom-
batant branches Of the army. The
mobile armies are composed Of only
1886 officers and 51,446 men.
The troops were disposed as fol-
lows, on June 80, last:
In the Philippines, 1878 officers
and men; Hawaii islands, S1s5: canal
zone, 2179; Alaska s62: Vera Cruz,
1880; Porto Rico. 7O7; United States
64,579; others, 1449.
Scarcely any unit Of the army ever
has its proper compliment of officers
the secretary says, and the need for
an increase Of officers is urgent and
imperative.
Enemy VIII Not Wait
Anyone who takes the slightest
trouble to Investigate will find that
in modern warfare a prepared enemy
would progress so far on the way to
success in six months. II his antago-
mist had to wait six months to meet
him, that such an unprepared antago-
mist might as well concede defeat
without contest" says the secretarys
report.
I'VE have on hand in reserve suf-
ficient small arms, small arm ammu-
milton and equipment, roughly figur-
ing for the 100000 men that would
have to be called into the field in any
large emergency. We have nothing
like sufficient artillery and artillery
ammunition. There is universal agree
ment among all who know. that ar
tillery Is an essential feature of mod |
ern warfare. and that a proper pro.
portion thereof TO any army is indis-
pensible II success is to be even hoped
for"
Th secretary then calls attention to
the recent importance of flying. OF
flying corps and motor transportation
In war and suggests that volunteer
motor transportation reserve be or
sanized from the motor vehicles ad-
aptable TO military use now in the
hands Of private citizens.
Need of More Soldiers.
Whatever else may properly be
irawn from the facts as disclosed IL
IAN not be disputed that ii is impera-
i've that we have in this country
'ery much larger percentage of men
Who have had proper military train
ng and who are ir a position to in
'tantly respond to the call of the ma.
ion. OF the troops that we now
laVe, the numbers and organization ,
II which are shown above. il will be
necessary in the very near future 10 ]
axe from the United States and put {
n the Philippine islands l3 compa- ,
lies of coast artillery, 1850 men; in &
he Hawaiitn islands, three regiments ;
4 infantry one battalion of field ar /
ilery and two companies of coast \
rtillery, 6S72 men. and in the Pana- Y
1a canal zone, one regiment OF in c
antry, one squadron of cavalry. one n
attalion of field artillery. one com. ,
"a NhbaANNAS anu L. companies Z X
coast artillery, 4776 men. Q may $
ay in this connection that I do not "
onsider the Panama garrison suffi- =
lent, even when these contemplated n
editions are made) This will then A
ave in the United States proper l2.- =,
10 coast artillery troops and 24,6O2 n
the mobile arm, the latter being +
len not much more than twice the b
ze Of the police force OF the city OF .
ew York" %
He then takes up this recommenda. tr
on of bringing the present army up
full strength by the addition Of u.s. k,
10 men, the mobile army in contin. :,
ital United States to consist after n
lis addition OF 4s,6O2 men. ~
North Pole Rule Wanted. "