The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-12-10

manufacture of artillery and artillery ammunition should progress as rapidly as Is possible until a proper reserve thereof has been obtained.
 Tn present day strategy and tactics the aviation corps has bid fair 10 be- come the eyes of the army. and n gen eral commanding an army without an adequate flying corps against an army of equal strength in other respects. but with an adequate flying corps, would be in the position of a blind man con tending against man with sight. Tho present Congress made a good start toward putting aviation on a substan tial basis. This work should be fol lowed up and consistently pressed.
 ''rhe universal utilization of motof transportation in the present war has vastly increased the mobility of armies. It Is necessary that we keep abreast ot the times in utilizing motor vehicles for army transportation. It might be well worth while to devise ways and means of organizing into 8 voluntts< motor transportation reserve the motor vehicles adaptable to military use nov in the hands Of private citizens
 Transmitting his recommendations, MT Garrison writes fin part;
 My recommendation of what we should immediately do is to fl up the existing organizations which compose the aggre' gate mobile army force just mentioned to their full strength. This would require 2a0oo men. In addition to the enlisted men just mentioned, we should he author ized to obtain iooo more officers. The legislation to accomplish these purposes would be of the very simplest character being merely authorizations to the depart ment to do these things.
 Threefold Result
 "Ap increase of the enlisted personnel of the army by 25.000 men would accom- plish threefold results. It would. ns be- fore mentioned. bring up to full strength the existing units of the mobile army in continental United States and thus supply a more adequate force. Second. 1t would afford training for the officers in the command Of such units as they must com
 mand In time of war and would prevent as far as the regular army Is concerned. the crowding of the ranks with raw levies which always disorganise and ren- der inefficient the organizations into which | they come. Third. it would be wise in- vestment from the standpoint of economy. | in that no material increase of overhead | charges would be necessary. and the ad- dition of these men could be effected at per capita cost to the government of about one-third the per capita cost Under existing conditions.
 By the time these 250Oo men could be procured the mobile forces in the United l States ase herelnbefore pointed out. would number 2i.609; so that after the addition the mobile army in continental United 1 States would consist Of 49.6O2 men. l With the army thus increased, we would then be able to undertake the next neees- sity, which is absolutely imperative, and that the preparation of a reserve. The present legislation with respect to re- | serve has proven utterly useless for the purpose it having produced in 2t months | only 16 men. and thare is little or no hope l that it will ever properly accomplish its purpose The reasons why it will not do so it is not profitable to discuss. Legislation Needed
 1 "I am firmly convinced that If ws can use the standing army as school through which to pass men who come Into 1t, with the knowledge that if they are profi- cient, they can be discharged at any time after u year or IS months, we will begin at once to build up the necessary reserve and will. for the first time in the military l history of this country. have something approximating a balanced organization T am therefore firmly convinced that we should have immediate legislation 1 dealing with the matter of enlistment and reserve A practically similar provision should exist in every state which main l tains an organized militia. It is just as essential that the organized militia should 1 have a proper reserve to fill up its ranks as it is that the regular army should.
 q am convinced With equal firmness that we should adopt some one or more of the methods which have been suggested l for the training of more civilians to be- come officers in case of necessity. The potentality of the student military camps and of the schools and colleges at which l military training is obtainable. suggests
 a fruitful source of accomplishing this purpose.
 "I realize that one of the matters which 1 will be much debated in connection with
 this whole subject will be the matter of l expense. I do not overlook this but I
 think that those who are charged with re- sponsibity on behalf of the public should realize the greatness of that responsi-
 blity: should realize the unanswerable
 indictment that will lie against them if they shrink from mourning expense for l what Is vital to the nation. When one has reached the conclusion, as have, that
 a minimum of military preparedness Is
 essential. the>question of it's cost is sec
 ondary and cannot be permitted to be the
 determining factor No citizen will or can properly object to the expenditure of
 money for vital national purposes