The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-19
Retiring Maj.-Gcneral Finds
Conditions Worse Than
Gardner Told OF.
REGULAR ARMY OF
100000 IS URGED

who two days ago retired as Chief or
Stan of the army, made public here
to-day. The report IL one of tho brief
est yet most comprehensive EXPOSE
tons of the state of the national de-
fences ever made officially in Wash
ington.
Conditions far beyond what Repre-
sentative Gardner has indicated in his
appeals for an investigation OF the
preparedness Of the United States for
war are revealed in Gen. Wotherspoon's
report.
His official accounting to Secretary
Garrison more than bears out state
ments made previously by Gen. Wood.
his predecessor. and his recommends
tons are exactly in line with sugges-
lions made by all familiar with the ac-
tual state OF the national defence. The
report is expected TO renew the discus
sion characterized at the White House
as mental exercise"
Reserve system Urged.
Gen. wotherspoon recommends the
creation Of total available force OF
500, 900 trained men in the regular army
and in reserve for the military defence
of the country. This force he would
obtain 10y having a regular army of
5000 with three year enlistment
term with the colors and five years in
reserve. by this scheme the army at
the end of five years would comprise
205.000 in the first line and 2s3,5OO
trained men in the reserve ranks.
He discloses that there are only 49,
96S soldiers available for the mobile
army within the United States; that
the coast artillery is short 130ls men;
that only 80 per cent. OF the militia
qualified as second class marks1nen or
better. last year: that neither the Phil
ippnes, Hawaii, Alaska nor the Panama
Canal can be defended by the garri-
sons there; that the militia is short
of horses, guns, ammunition and trans
portation: that the regular army is wO-
fully lacking In field guns and ammuni-
ton: that the coast defences are with
out adequate supplies of ammunition
and material and that changes should
lie made in the type of coast guns %
offset the superiority of modern naval
guns.
Gen. Wotherspoon held that this
nation with its present system cam
not possibly assemble rapidly enough
sufficient forces, equipped for field
operations, to cope with an enemy de-
barking on our shores. Distribution Of
forces on a wide front was advised, be-
cause Of the wide choice OF landing
places open 10 an enemy.
First Line of Trained Men.
For the first line mobile force of n
half million men Wothcrspoon would
have thoroughly trained men equipped
with provisions and supplies for six
months. These should be reinforced by
a second line OF 900 drawn from the
organized militia and similarly pro-
visioned. the reorganization of which TO
this strength he urges.
Troops now distributed in foreign pos
sessions, or 10 be distributed under tho
present organization plans. are totally
inadequate for the II, eds of these out
lying districts. Wotherspoon held. FL
fectlve defence Of the Philippines is
"manifestly impossible" under present
forces. Likewise. the Panama Canal
cannot be protected against foreign in
vasion by the present garrison or by
proposed additions thereto unless the
army is so equipped that these troops
could be rapidly REINFORCED from the
United States.
OF Alaska, he said that the garrison
Of 500 there "verges on the ridiculous, -
unless 1t can be reinforced at the very
earliest stages of an impending conflict
Wy forces from the States. The same
criticism, he felt, was applicable 10
Hawaii.
In any scheme ~ create such force
Sf mobile troops as contemplate
above" the report said, 1--WE cannot dc
better than To follow the example OF
.he master mind in military organiZa-
ton for national defences. The policies
developed in this direction all include
among others the primary plan of using
the standing army as a school for the
training Of men who, on graduating
from that school pass into the reserve
and constitute the real national military
strength. Experience has shown thai
two or three years IL the lowest possible
limit OF time within which the averag,
man can he converted into a disciplined
trained and effective soldier"
10000 Fit for Field.
Gen. Wothersp0ou's repor, shows
that the actual force in the United
States fit for lighting in the fed Is 2,73'
officers and 20 HoS enlisted men,
In the United States proper there ar,
s0,48l enlisted men and in the foreign
possessions 20S63. OF these 7,2l2 ar
in the Philippines 6,S33 N the Hawaiian
Islands and 1851 in Panama the other
IN Vera Cruz and scattered in China
Alaska and Porto Rico.
The coast artll ny Of the rccula
army has 746 officers and 1901 enliste,
men. The coast artillery corps of tn
~ an N M