McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1915-12-10

selves and of 1t. The military arm OF their
government. which they will not allow to
direct them. they may properly use to
serve them and make their independence
secure-and not their own independence
merely but the rights also of those with
whom they have made common cause,
should they also be put In jeopardy.
They must be fitted to nlav the great
role in the world, and particularly in this
hemisphere, for which they are quail
fed by principle and by chastened ambi-
ton to play.
1t Is with these ideals In mind that the
plans of the department of war for more
adequate national defense we're conceived
which will be laid before you. and which
urge you to sanction and. put into eff.
feet as soon as they can be properly scru-
tinized and discussed. They seem to me
the essential first steps. and they seem
to me for the present sufficient.
They contemplate an increase of the
standing force of the regular army from
Its present strength Of 5.O23 officers and
102,9S5 enlisted men Of all services TO a
strength OF Tbs officers and 134.7o7 en-
listed men. or 1883, all told, all serv-
ices. rank and file. by the addition of So
companies OF coast artillery. Is COM
panies of engineers. ten regiments of In
fantry, four regiments of field artillery.
and four aero squadrons. besides $50 off,
GERS required for great variety of extra
service. especially the all-lmportant duty
of training the citizen force of which
shall presently speak, 1872 non-commis-
stoned officers for service In drill recruit
ing and the like. and the necessary quota
of enlisted men for the quartermaster
corps, the hospital corps. the ordnance
department and other similar auxiliary
services. These are the additions neces.
sary to render the army adequate for its
present duties, duties which 1t has to
perform not only upon our own CONT
mental coasts and borders and at our in
terror army posts, but also In the Phil
ippines. in the Hawaiian islands. at the
isthmus. and In Porto Rico.
Force of Trained Citizens.
BY way of making the country ready
to assert some part Of Its real power
promptly and upon larger scale. should
occasion arise. the plan also contemplates
supplementing the army by a force of
100000 disciplined citizens. raised in mere
ments of $4,000 year throughout a pc
rlod of three years. This 1t Is proposed
to do by process OF enlistment under
which the serviceable men of the coun-
try would be asked to bind themselves to
serve with the coioTs for purposes OF
training for short periods throughout
three years. and to come to the colors
at call at any time throughout an addi-
tional ''furlough" period Of three years.
This force of 100000 men would be pro-
vided with personal requirements as fast
as enlisted and their equipment for the
field made ready to be supplied at any
time. They would be assembled for train
Ing at stated intervals at convenient
places In association with suitable units
of the regular army. Their period of
annual training would not necessarily ex-
coed two months in the year.
1t would depend upon the patriotic feel
ing of the younger men of the country
whether they responded to such a call
to service or not. 1t would depend upon
the patriotic spirit of the employers of
the country whether they made 1t possi-
BILE for the younger men in their en-
ploy to respond under favorable condi-
lions or not. I, for one, do not doubt
men or of those who give them employ
ment-those for whose benefit and protec-
ton they would in fact enlist.
The program which will be laid before
you by the secretary Of the navy is sim
ilarly conceived. II involves only a
shortening Of the time within which plans
long matured shall be carried out: but II
does make definite and explicit program
which has heretofore been only implicit,
held in the minds Of the committees on
naval affairs and disclosed In the debates
Of the two houses but nowhere formu-
lated or formally adopted. It seems to
me very clear that 1t will be to the ad-
vantage of the country for the congress
| to adopt a comprehensive plan for put
| ting the navy upon a final footing OF
strength and efficiency and to press that
| plan to completion within the next five
years. We have always looked to the
navy of the country as our first and CHIEF
| line of defense; we have always seen II
| to be our manifest course OF prudence
| to be strong on the seas. Year by year
we have been creating a navy which now
ranks very high indeed among the navies
| of the maritime nations. We should nov
| definitely determine how we shall com
plete what we have begun, and how soon
| Program for the Navy.
The secretary of the navy is asking
| also for the immediate addition to ths
personnel Of the navy Of 1900 sailors
$500 apprentice seamen. and 100 marines
| This increase would DO sufficient to care
| for the ships which are to be completed
| within the fiscal year 1917 and also FOL
the number Of men which must be put II
| training to man the ships which will b.
completed early in 1918. II is also neces
| sary that the number Of midshipmen a
| the naval academy at Annapolis shoult
be Increased by at least 800 in order tina
| the force Of officers should be more rap
| Idly added to; and authority Is asked I,
| appoint for engineering duties only. ap
proved graduates Of engineering colleges
and for service In the aviation corps
certain number Of men taken from civi
life.
4 II this full program should be carries
out we should have built or building Ii
1921. according to the estimates of surviv
al and standards of classification followe,
by the general board Of the department
an effective navy consisting OF q battle
ships of the first line. six battle cruisers
rs battleships Of the second line. ten ar
mored cruisers. 10 scout cruisers. nv
first-class cruisers, three second las
cruisers, ten third-class cruisers, 10S de
troyers IS fleet submarines. 157 coast sub
marines, six monitors. 20 gunboats. fou
supply ships. Is fuel ships, four trans
ports. three tenders to torpedo vessels
eight vessels of special types. and tw
ammunition ships This would be nav,
fitted to our needs and worthy Of gu
traditions.
Trade and Shipping.
/ nut dfHiicS dliu liiStFui1tutS VI war ut
only part of what has to be considers
II we are to consider the supreme matte
of national self-sufficiency and securit.
In all its aspects. There are other grea
matters which will be thrust upon our at
tention whether we will or not Their
Is, for example, very pressing questio
of trade and shipping involved in thi
great problem of national adequacy. ]
is necessary for many weighty reasons o
national efficiency and development tina
we should have a great merchant ma
rine. The great merchant fleet we ono
used to make us rich, that great body O
sturdy sailors who used to carry our fla
into every sea, and who were the prid
and often the buwark of the nation. W
have almost driven out OF existence b
ineXcusable neglect and indifference an
by hopelessly blind and provincial po
icy of so-called economic protection ]
is high time we repaired our mistake an
resumed our commercial independence o
| the seas