The Detroit times., 1914-12-10

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Dec. TO-
Make the United States standing army
school for the military training or
a big reserve force OF soldiers,
That Is the recommendation OF Sec
retary of War Garrison in his annual
report made to the president today.
He believes that instead OF forcing
enlisted men TO serve three years,
they should be discharged at the end
of one year, II proficient Thus their
service would be simply in the nature
OF thorough schooling in shooting
and soldierly discipline. AS they pass.
ed through the school.army in in
creasing numbers, great and eff.
cient reserve OF trained soldiers would
be built up.
Thousands OF young men would en-
list In the army il by so doing they
did not obligate themselves to three
years OF unremitting service.
The idea OF enlisting until proficient
would be as attractive as the idea OF
a vacation. Young Americans would
be drawn 10 the army for the sake OF
the outdoor life, for the travel and
experience, for the physical and moral
discipline-for the score of reasons
which make the soldiers life fascinat-
ing to every boy almost from the day
he begins to walk.
Only the enforced service for
number of years is repugnant to men.
says Garrison. IL they could learn
the business" in one year and then
leave. enlistment would be much more
popular and thus a strong, well-train-
ed, second-line force would be built
up In the nation. ready and able to
serve the country at call.
Il am firmly convinced that IL we
can use the standing army as school
through which to pass men who come
into 1t, with the knowledge that II
they are proficient they can be dis
charged at any time after year or
Is months, we will begin at once to
build up the necessary reserve and
Will, for the first time in the military
history OF this country, have some
thing approximating balanced or
ganization," says Secretary Garrison.
He presents a table OF the military
strength OF the 13 principal countries
of the world. In this table the United
States ranks twelfth, outranking only
Belgium In total trained war strength.
Secretary Garrison lists 225,17O men
as the total trained war force of this
country, including tho organized mill
tia and the Philippine Scouts.
Whatever else may properly be
drawn from the facts as disclosed" !"
says the secretary. commenting on
this table, "it cannot be disputed that
IL is imperative that we have In this
country very much larger percent
Lot
itary training and who are in a posi-
tion TO instantly respond to call.
"Of the troops that we now have, It
will be necessary In the very near
future TO take from the United States
and put In the Philippine islands,
1850 coast artillery; In the Hawaiian
islands. 6.372 men, ynd In the Panama
canal zone. 4.776 men. This Will
leave in the United States proper
1850 coast artillery troops and only
"a, 1902 infantry soldiers. the latter be-
Ing then not much more than twice
the size of the police force OF the city
OF New York.
Practically all the organizations
In the United States" says-Secretary
| iGarrison, ARE on what Is known as
La peace footing. which means that
for instance, an infantry company
which upon war footing should have
$50 men. now has 5o men. Scarcely
any unit In the army ever has its
proper complement OF officers, and the
need for an increase of officers is
4 urgent.
MY recommendation OF what We
should Immediately do is to nj up
the existing organizs tions which com.
pose the aggregate army to their full
Continued on rage Two)