Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-12-15

OF continental United States and those
OF "Our other territorial responsible
ties which must he considered the
report says the total strength OF the
army June 81. 1914. was 1882. o.
this number 30.S90 were available as
a mobile force in continental United
States. the rest being employed IN
the Philippines. Hawaii or the Canal
Zone or comprising hospital. quarter
masters or other auxiliary services.
In the near future. the report states.
additional forces will be sent TO the
Canal Zone and elsewhere reducing
the mobile force on the continent, eN-
elusive Of coast artillery, to 24,6QU
nen Even with the increased force
there. Secretary Garrison declares,
the Panama garrison will be made
ouate in his opinion
A table of the 13 leading countries
OF the world showing area. population,
peace strength of the army and the
total trained war strength is inClud
ed in the report 1t disCloses that
with an area ard population surpassed
only by Great Britain and her colonies
and bv Russia, the United States
stands tenth in the peace footing OF
her army and twelfth in trained re-
serves. Against Russia's 100000
trained men the United States has
225 900. including the Philippine
Scouts; and Belgium, with 10000 is
the only nation telow that figure.
Switzerland. next above, has $4,000,
Japan, !, 200, 600.
Whatever else may properly be
drawn from the facts as disclosed.
the report says, 1t can not be dis.
puted that it is imperative that we
have in this country very much larg-
er percentage of men who have had
proper military training and who are
in a position to instantly respond to
the call of the nation"
War Material.
OF war material the report says:
I'VE have on hand in reserve suffi-
cient small arms, small-arm ammun :
ton and equipment, roughly figuring
for the 100000 men that would have
to be called into the field in any large
emergency. We have nothing like
sufficient artillery and artillery am
munition.
This has been urgently presented in
all of the recent reports Of the head
of this department and the chiefs of
staff, and Congress has from time to
time recently increased the appropfi'
aticns for these purposes. There is
| universal agreement among all who
know, that artillery is an essential
| feature of modern warfare, and that
a proper proportion thereof to any
army is Indispensable if success is to
be even hoped for. 1t is imperative
that the manufacture of artillery and
artillery ammunition should progress
as rapidly as is possible until proper
reserve thereof has been obtained.
Aviation Corps.
In present-day strategy and tactics
the aviation corps has bid fair to be-
come the eyes of the army, and 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 blind man con
tending against man with sight The
present Congress made a good star
toward putting aviation on a substan
tial basis. This work should be fol
lowed up and consistently pressed.
THE universal utilization of motor
transportation in the present war mai
vastly increased the mobility of ar
mics. 1t is necessary that we keel
abreast OF the times in utilizing moto
vehicles for army transportation. /
might be well worth while to devils,
ways and means Of organizing into
volunteer motor transportation re
serve the motor vehicles adaptable Il
military use now in the hands Of pr
yate citizens" -
Recommendations.
Transmitting his recommendation
Mr.. Garrison writes in part: '...--
My recommendation of what W,
should Immediately do is to fill I'D th
existing organizations which compos
the aggregate mobile army force JUS
mentioned to their full strength. Thi
would require $4,000 men. In addition
20 the enlisted men just mentioned
we should be authorized to obtail
loOO more officers. The legislation t
accomplish these purposes would b
OF the very simplest character, bein,
merely authorizations to the depart
ment to do these things.
An increase of the enlisted person
mel of the army by $4,000 men woul
accomplish three-fold results.
would, as before mentioned, bring u
to full strength the existing units O
/, the mobile army in continental Unite
States and thus supply a more ade
quate force. Second, it would affor
training for the officers in the CON
mand of such units as they must con
mand in time of war and would prt
vent, as far as the regular army
j concerned, the crowding Of the rank
with raw levies which always DISC
ganize and render inefficient the o.
carnations into which they cam,
Third. 1t would be a wise investme1
from the standpoint of economy, i
that no material increase of overhea
charges would be necessary, and III
addition Of these men could be effec
ed at per capita cost to the govern
ment OF about one-third the per capt.
II