The chronicle=news. (Trinidad, Colo.) 1898-current, 1914-12-11

sonnet of the army by $4,000 men
would accomplish three-fold results.
1t would. as before mentioned. bring
up to full strength the enlisting units
of the mobile army in continental
United States and thus supply a
mora adequate force. Second, 1t
would afford training for the officers
in the command of such units as
| they must command in time of war
and would prevent. as far as the reg
ular army is concerned. the crowding
of the ranks with raw levies which
always disorganize and render inef-
ficiet the organizations into wliel,
they come. Third, 1t would be a
wise investment from the standpoint
Of economy, in that no material In
crease of overhead charges would be
necessary, and the addition of these
men could be effected at a per cap
tia cost to the government Of about
one-third the per capital cost under
existing conditions.
"By the time these $4,000 men
could be procured the mobile forces
in the United States as hereinbefore
pointed out. would number 24.6O2:
SO that after the addition the mobile
army In continental United States
would consist of 49.602 men.
With the army thus increased we
would then be able to undertake the
next necessity. which is absolutely
imperative. and that the preparation
of u reserve. The present legisla-
tion with respect to reserve has
proven bitterly useless for the pur-
pose. it having produced in "a
months only 1G men. and there Is
little or no hope that 1t will never
properly accomplish it's purpose. The
reasons why 1t will not do SO it is not
profitable to discuss.
81 am firmly convinced that il we
can use the standing army as a
school through which to pass men
who come into it. with the knowl-
edge that II they are proficient they
can be discharged at any time after
year or Is months, we will be-
gin at once to build up the necessary
reserve. and will. for the first time
In the military history of this coun-
try, have something approximating a
balanced organization.
| 81 am. therefore. firmly convinced
that we should have Immediate leg
islation dealing with the matter of
enlistment and reserve. A practical
ly similar provision should exist in
every state which maintains an or
ganized militia. 1t is Just as essen
tial that the organized militia should
have proper reserve to fill up its
ranks as it is that the regular army
should.
Il am convinced with equal firm
ness that we should adopt some one
or more of the methods which have
been suggested for the training OF
more civilians to become officers In
case OF necessity. The potentially
of the student military camps and of
the schools and colleges at which
military training is obtainable sug-
gests fruitful source of accomplish
ing this purpose.
| 81 realize that one of the matters
which will be much debated IN con-
nection with this whole subject will
be the matter of expense. I do not
overlook this. but think that those
WHO are charged with responsibility
on behalf of the public should real
lie the greatness of that responsible
ity; should realize the unanswerable
indictment that will lie against them
If they shrink from mourning en-
pense for what is vital to the nation.
When one has reached the concIu-
SIGN. as I have. that q minimum of
military preparedness is essential,
the question of it's cost is secondary
and cannot be permitted to be the
determining factor. No citizen will
or can properly object to the expendi-