Evening star., 1914-11-18
Maj. Gen. Wotherspoon
Would Increase Strength to
2O5,0 900 Enlisted Men.
MOBILE FORCE OF 100000
FIRST-LINE MEN URGED
Startling Recommendations of Re-
cent Chief of Staff Expected to
Create Wide Discussion.

The increase of the regular army of
the United States to 205,000 enlisted
men. or more than twice it's present
authorized strength. and the creation
of a mobile force of at least 900
first-line men equipped for. a cam
paign of six months, are the principal
recommendations in the annual report
of Maj. Gen. w. w. Wotherspoon, re-
Gently chief of staff of the army, made
public today.
Gen. Wotherspoon almost startling
recommendations. in view of the pre-
vious military policy of the United
States, are bound to create widespread
discussion. both in military and civil
circles. as the distinguished officers
active career of forty-five years, which
ended with his retirement Monday, has
embraced almost every branch of mill
ta<y service in every part of the world
touched by the American soldier.
Would Increase Militia.
Gen. Wotherspoon also would bring
the organized militia of the country
up to 100000 men. Touching upon the
first-line needs of the army, he says:
Careful consideration of our needs
would Indicate the advisability and
necessity for having at all times avail
able at home and, in addition to the
neceSsltles in our .oreign possessions.
lishment mobile force of at least
100000 thoroughly trained and thor
oushfy equipped fighting men, with
adequate supplies for the operation of
tnls 1orce for period of at least
six months. This is a conclusion that
seems to. have been reached by all
nose VINO have given careful consid-
Grafton to this question.
1T is also agreed that we should
nave as a second line a thoroughly
lzed militia of not less than 100000
men: properly proportioned as to it's
stait ana several arms, with stores and
suppnes necessary for it's operation in
the neld for. like period. The smaller
units of the standing army and the
corresponding units of the organized
militia must .manifestly be organized
into the higher units Of brigades and
divisions and be susceptible of as
semb1y for drill and field exercises for
without such organization and power
Of assembly the troops themselves, not
to speak Of the higher commanders
would be without that experience
which is essential to effective opera
ton in war
Plan for the Reserve.
With no reference to the present gil
gantic struggle which shakes all Eu-,
rope and the rest of the world and
without apologies to opponents of So
called "militarism." Gen. Wotherspoon
outlines the plan through which he
would double the present regular army
and create the reserve, which at pres
ent in the United States is a name
only. The enlisted men would serve
short term with the colors and would
then pass on into the reserves for peri
DDS OF from five years to greater
number Of years. being at all times,
while pursuing peaceful callings, under
obligation to respond in case of ma
tional need.
Assuming the report continues,
"the adoption of 4 short term of enlist
ment-say three years-for the passage
of the men thoroughly trained in the
school of the regular. or standing army.
into the reserve, and that men so
trained should not be held in the first
years. 1t would appear that the size of
the regular or standing army, to be
used as school for the training of
reservists, should be about 205,000 en-
listed men.
Possible Size Of Army.
'1f from such an army, organized on
basis Of three years training, we dis
charge yearly that increment below the
grade of sergeant which had completed
It's three years training. we would
have. with due allowance for deaths,
etc. in the first year of it's complete
operation an army of 263,700 (205,000
plus $500 reserves); in the second
year an army Of 322.400 f205.000 plus
117.4o0 reserves): in the third year an
army of 3s1. 100 (205.000 plus 176,1O0 re-
serves): in the fourth year an army Of
$4,000 (205.o00 plus 234,S00 reserves);
in the fifth year an army 81 498, 500
(205,000 plus 293,500 reserves). After
this the army would be maintained at
the last figure, and in addition we
would be accumulating trained men in
the second reserve at the rate of about
$4,000 each year."
Citing the need of increased armed
forces. Gen. Wotherspoon says at Is
manifest that the great waterway of
the Panama canal cannot be protected
against the operations of a first-class
military power by the present or pro-
posed garrison we contemplate placing
there without the power and ability to
reinforce 1t rapidly from the United
States"
Territorial Defenses.
Regarding the defenses of the Phil
ippines. Alaska and Hawaiian Islands,
the former chief of stafr says:
That an effective defense against an
enterprising enemy in the Philippines
could be made with a deficiency of 80
per cent of the manning details of the
coast defenses of Manila and Subig bay,
and with a mobile force of a little over
1000 American troops sInnlemented bv