Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-11-06
ARMY OFFICERS NOT SURPRISED
AT CHARGE AGAINST TWO
WARNING NATioNs.
PLANS OF OTHER NATIONS
TO SEIZE PORTS LONG KNOWN
Germans and Japs Are Countries Re.
ferred to, According to Army Cir
clss-RooseveIt to Be Given Chance
to EIueidate Is Gardnsr's Plan II
Adopted.
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence
Washington, Nov. Cool Theodore
Roosevelt will in all probability be one
! of the first persons called TO testify
before the proposed commission to in
vesiigate the question of the military
and naval preparedness of the United
States If such a commission is named
by congress the coming winter. Con-
gresham Gardner. of Massachusetts,.
has introduced a resolution for such a
commission and will press 1t. with
strong backing at the short session.
Not only is it we'll known that
Colonel Roosevelt has given great
deaf of study to this question but in
view of his recent statement to the
students of Princeton that he had
seen plans Of two nations to take San
Francisco and New York and hold
them for ransom. there is demand in
some quarters that he should give de-
tails. The colonel said that after cleo
ton he will elucidate the subject
without waiting for any commission.
Not News to Army.
However, there is no doubt in army
circles what the colonel. is talking
about. German plans to seize Atlantic
coast cities and hold them have been
frankly discussed More or less has
been published about them. 1t may
be that Colonel Roosevelt knows
good deal nur- a55,;@. them than has
been disclosed. They have not aroused
in the army either excitement or re-
sentiment because they are supposed
10 be in sense academic, Just as the
general staff of the American army has
devised plans for various campaigns
which it hopes never to have to make.
AS TO the seizure of San Francisco.
the Japanese at one time had plans
for doing that and the plans came into
The possession of the war college here.
with the result that the war college in
turn went to work to devise plans to
meet such an attack. The war college
found, however, that 1t was one thing
To prepare the plans and another to
-. ise the ways and means Of carrying
out The plans Furthermore. in some
of the official reports, especially In
report some years ago on the need for
fortifying Los Angeles. there was an
extremely frank discussion OF what
might be done by an enemy invading
the Pacific coast and overrunning the
Pacific coast region as far eastward as
the mountain passes.
Roosevelt Will Be Posted on War.
Colonel Roosevelt While in the White
House conferred great deal with
army men and navy men about the
army and naval forces. He knew the
inside OF things in that respect prob
ably more fully than any other presi-
dent Of this generation. He Is student
OF military and naval matters. has seen
army service. believes young men
should be trained 20 familiarity with
arms. and is in favor of a system that
will give the United States. not big
standing army. but trained reserve
of men who can be called into service
If needed.
Army men do not look on plans by
Germans or Japanese or other ma
tons for operations against this coun-
try as anything to be alarmed about
or as evincing hostile intentions,
though there has been a disposition in
some newspapers to take that view Of
it. To the army officers, such plans
are accepted rather as demonstrating
what might be done rather than any
thing else and as indicating what
view foreign military offices take as
to where Americas weak spots lie in
strategic sense.
1t is too early to tell whether con-
gress viii adopt the Gardner resolu-
ton or anything OF the sort. The adj
ministration influence will be against
| it and so will that of Secretary Bryan.
Nevertheless, there will be strong sup
port for it, Many evidences are given
of a growing interest in the subject OF
how far America is capable of defend
| ing herself
Give Officers Chance to Talk.
Army and navy officers know well
what the situation is. But they are
jpsetty well barred from talking about
! it freely. Ore Of the objects aimed at
by Congressman Gardner is to have a
commission of congress named which
would give officers who have studied
the subject most deeply a chance to
make public statements concerning
| things they talk about frankly in pri-
vate.
II there Is any real overhauling of
the military system, 1t will undoubtedly
| aim at finding some way to make the
country better prepared without ex-
penditures much larger than the pres
| ent large expenditures The army bills
now are enormous and the result
small. AS some of the more progress
siye army men view 1t. what is needed
Is more attention to training men and
| providing rifles, artillery and am
munition and less expenditure on use
less forts and other extravagant fea-
lures nf the American army system,