The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-24
PREPARE FOR WAR.
is WOODS ADVICE
Will Take Two or Three Years
to Get in Any Creditable
Condition.
POINTS TO NEEDS OF ARMY
Conflict With First-Class Power
Would Require Services of
100000 Men.
POINTS TO NEEDS OF ARMY
Especial to The rimes-Dispatch. ]

Washington, January 23.-Major-
General Leonard Wood. In testimony
made public to-day by the House APP
preparations Committee. said
with the present garrisons and de-
lenses It would be Impossible to hold
the Philippines and Hawaii against
attack.
1.-The War Department believes. after
extended study" said Major General
| Wood that In case of war with a
first class power an army OF b0O.O0o
mon Will be needed to give this coun-
try any chance of success against in
vason, and then this force would be
needed at onco. Besides this force Of
men with guns. we need 100000 troop
crs-600,00o in all
I'VE have neither guns nor ammuni-
ton sufficient to give any general
! commanding an army In the field any
| assurance OF success. IL attacked by an
army of equal size which is supplied
with its proper quota OF field ar.il-
! lery
The total number of guns we ask
for G,12i guns), is predicated upon the
| fact that an army of 100000 men is
considered the minimum army that we
should employ ut once, In case OF
! trouble with any power prepared for
| war and the reason why we are urg
ing that we should prepare now. is
| that IL would take Mt least two or three
years If tho whole resources OF tho
country were turned on tho guns to
prepare. j do not feel that | am JUS
| tilted in misrepresenting the case by
asking for u smaller number OF guns,
| knowing that 1t will take, even II
granted the appropriations. practically
| threc years, with the cntiro resources
| OF tho country, to turn out the num-
| Der OF guns We now rcQuire-that Ia,
! to bring us up to 1892.
1T is not as though We could 70 in
! the market and buy these guns like
! shoes and hats 1t Is going to take
| years TO make them, and II is essen :
tial that we proceed to make them.
That is why / am asking for or
recommending this number Of guns
and think that is tho reason why the
recommendation has been approved
We are figuring on 100000 men and
100000 added troopers
General Wood stated that tho War
Department was asking only for twelve
guns this year. out or tho ninety nine
estimated to be needed. General
Crozier. chief OF ordnance. estimates
said General Wood. that almost one
year would be required 10 supply the
field artillery guns needed with one
field army OF little less than 10000
FIVE years has lasted for one year, sc
that after war Is declared. Il would
probably be over before we could man
ufacture nm apprcciable number OF
guns. and tho same applies to ammuni-
ton. Since October /. 1913. total ap-
preparations have been made for onl,
2i5.09s rounds of ammunition for our
modern field guns This ammunition
will not be manufactured until juno
80. 1914.
''Of ammunition for modern guns VS.
have at present in this country. with
troops. I'm depots or under manufacture
ls6.5oS rounds; for the 295 mountain
guns 1906 rounds, "A total OF eol,G1
rounds. and this is all VIC have.
At Mukden, in nine days. the 100
Russian guns expended 10000 rounds
Fertilization mt Hawaii.
Explaining increased fertilization.
demanded for Hawaii, General WOOD
said:
I'VE find that it would be impossible,
for us to hold the entire island Sc
curely with any ground on which Con
gress would be willing to give us
any mobile garrison-and therefore W.
and put In n pretty strong line OF lan'
defences, employing therein numbe
of seacoast guns of the smaller calibre
Under the original plans for tn
/, / dcIcnSc OF the ISLANDS 1T WAS tnOuBH
we could hold the entire central plain
. in fact the entire island, but n yer!
much more careful study of the sit
uation has convinced our officers, botl
/ engineers and line. the we cannot
with the garrison which you will prob
ably be willing to give us Of 1900
or $1,000 men, hold the entire islan'
or even all OF the central plain, ant
, that We shall be forced back to tn
B Immediate vicinity of our seacoast de
: lenses, and in constructing this kind o
landworks IL is proposed to use TIL
various craters as part of the defense
taken from the defenses OF the Unite
states.
IL consider these operations so I'm
portamt," said General Wood, that
cut every appropriation for the Unite
States. If necessary, to give us thi
amount OF money for tho land deefns
line"
Defending the coast artillery, tn
strongest arm of the military service
General Wood said: I'VE would no
he able to take any OF these men fror
the fortincations as long as q power
full fleet was present or threatening
If you should be fighting an inferio
power in North America, you woul
fight it in your own way and In you
own time, but in real war. 1t mus
be borne In mind that in the event Q
loss OF sea control or Of it's being j
vigorous dispute, you would not b
y able to move the coast artilleryme
} away form the guns"
The fertilization bill introduced to
day CARRIES a total appropriation c
$5,175,000.