The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-12-09
Plan BIGGER ARMY
VAR COLLEGE WOULD INCREASE
MILITIA TO 100000
REGULAR ARMY 100000

There Would be no Increase in the
Regular Army But State Militias
Would be Built up to a Larger
Number and a Greater Effciency-
Plan Given in Detail.
Militant members of congress who
have proclaimed their intention to
advocate the Strengthening of the
armed forces Of the United States
apparently have been proceeding on
the theory that the government has
overlooked the matter.
II that be the case, it is more than
probable that these gentlemen, who
are wasting midnight electric lights
aad the ribbons on their typewriters
preparing resolutions providing for
an increase in the army and navy, are
certain to be disillusioned.
The general staff and war college
have been at work for more than two
| months working out the details of
system that probably will be recon-
mended by the secretary Of war in his
annual report, and presumably with
the sanction Of the president. The
nearest basis for this reorganization
reached by the experts contemp1ates
/ the creation of volunteer reservist
force to bring the forty-eight state
militia forces to 100000 men who
can be made ready for active military
duly within three weeks. 4
The regula. army at present con-.
sists of 4.572 officers and SS,444 en-
listed men. The authorized full
strength Of the regular land forces,
on war basis, IS 4,728 officers and
96,977 men.
The latest returns to the war de-
partment from the adjutant generals.
iof forty-eight states show the
strength of the state militia forces to
aggregate l23,043 men. The reports,
however, indicate that there are but
1927 men actually available for
duty in the State militia forces. The
! increase, therefore, contemplated by.
] the plans under consideration for the
development of the State militia
forces is about FIVE times that of the
number available to-day. -
! One of the details of the new plan
contemplates the hlishment OF 9
permanent training camp in each
states during period Of from four
| to six months every year. These are
to be run on uniform schedule OF
training to conform to the methods
of the regular army.
It has been matter of concern
and regret with officials Of the war.
department and officers OF the gem
eral staff that the conditions OF the
militia forces has been permitted to
1 depreciate. The experience of Great
Britain and, to some extent, Russia
and France has demonstrated, in the
| imnds Of these officials, the disadvan-
|tages that would attend the mobilize
ton Of the national military forces in
the event Of an emergency.
1t is estimated by officials CT the
United States war establishment that
the 100000 trained men contemplat-
ed by the new plan Of reorganization
will be adequate for ordinary emer-
gencies. Estimates of the number OF
citizens who might be made available
for military duly in vital cfFcum-
stances range from 100000 to o.
1 100000. But to prepare all these
men for active duty would require
! through training and consume near
ly two years before the full number
would be ready TO take up arms in
the country's defense.
It is estimated by army officers
| that, in the event of an order to mo-
bilize the militia, $4,000 of the 1884,
! obs would be. found with their COM
panies, but only about 10000 would
be actually ready to graduate into the
regular army.
The minimum peace strength Of a
militia regiment is: Fifty-one officers
and SIG men, divided as follows: One
headquarters company, "a men; one
supply company, men, and IL COM
panies Of .65 men each. -
The war strength of the same regi-
ment would be: Fifty-one officers
and 1886 men; headquarters COM
pany, 55 men; machine gun COM
pany, so men; supply company, 33
men, and IL companies, $50 n
each.
The nucleus Of company in time
of peace is officers and 35 men.
This would oe expanded to 3 officers
and $50 men in case Of war. The
men would have to be enlisted, uni
formed and equipped. 1t is presumed
that every militia company has uni
forms and equipment now, but only
the five states named have properly
equipped militia.
Immediately after an order to mo-
| bilize the militia the nearest United
States, supply depot would ship the
militia regiments the difference be-
tween peace and war footing equip
ment. Within a week after a, mobili-
| cation order was issued there should
be on hand at each state camp sufi-
cient equipment for war strength.
Each militiaman would be exam
incl at State mobilization camp by
an army surgeon, and, if accepted,
would be held until his company OBJ
tanned forty-nine enlisted men, the
number required before it could be
mustered in. The company probably
would be held until it had its maxi
mum strength $50 men, in the State
mobilization camp.
Before starting out, every man
would be fully equipped, vaccinated
and inoculated against typhoid fever.
OF the actual strength of the regu-
lar army, 1867 officers and 1889
enlisted men belong to the staff. tech
nical and non-combatant branch.
There are TAG officers and 17,201
enlisted men in the Coast Artillery,
and 2,73S officers and 51,344 enlist
ed men in the mobile army.
The total strength of the field
forces available for actual duty is
therefore actually less than 1000 en-
listed men. After deducting the s.
376 non-effectives, such as cooks, mu-
80. 80