Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-30
GARRISON AIMS
10 CREATE ARMY
OF MILLION MEN
Secretary Prepares Facts
for Submission to
Congress
100000 MOBILE TROOPS
Continental Organization Plan
Provides for Possible Uni
versal Service

WASHINGTON, Dec 30. - Secretary
Garrison, IN seclusion at his home in
New Jersey, Is giving over the entire
holiday week 10 preparation for the task
of presenting to the Congressional Mill
tarv Committee the army's part of the
Administration national defense program.
When Congress reconvenes Tuesday he
will be ready to submit facts, figures
and argument Il. support of the plans.
When Mr.. Garrison left washington he
took with him copies of every depart
mental report and official document bear
ing on the preparedness problem. He be-
lieves, II was asserted tonight by an Off
cal who has had much to do with franz
ing the plan, that a correct statement OF
the problem can lead only to the general
conclusions embodied in the continental
army scheme. From this official, who will
be among those authorized to present to
the committees an ampification of the
views of the Administration was obtained
an outline of what the Secretary expects
TO tell Congress the proposed program
will do.
FEATURES OF PROGRAM.
This outline is as follows;
First-Write definite military policy
founded on the unanimous conclusions
OF military experts of the nation. past
and present. and which. therefore, is
sound in theory and correct in applica-
ton.
Second-Enroll within three years and
give some preliminary training at least
20 100000 mobile troops.
Third-Provide within six years for an
additional force of 100000 reserves for the
troops with the colors.
Fourth-Furnish the most attractive
form of voluntary military service It is
possible to devise, thereby serving as "A
final and conclusive test of the possibility
of organizing in peace times an adequate
volunteer army system.
Fifth-Furnish a system to which uni
versal military service could be applied
quickly and without tho necessity of ex
tensive reorganization.
SlXth-Furnlsh n regular mobile army
sufficient to cooperate in the training
of the continentals and also to carry on
the necessary peace activities,
Seventh-Furnish through cadet COM
panies attached to regular regiments an
adequate and certain school for regular
continental and reserve officers.
Eighth-Furnish, beginning MT once. a
system under which an adequate enlisted
reserve for the regular army would be
built up and maintained.
Ninth-Begin at once. to be concluded in
four years, the expenditure OF sSl,00O000
on extension and Improvement OF coast
defenses. making them far superior to
those which any other nation has ever
contemplated.
Tenth-Furnish an adequate trained
force TO man all coast defenses, now lack |
ing nearly so per cent. of the necessary
personnel.
SOL 100000 FOR MUNITIONS.
Eleventh-Build up within four years a |
reserve supply OF material TO cost s104.- |
900, 900 and estimated upon the consump- |
tion of ammunition shown by the best |
available reports from the European war.
Twelfth-Inaugurate a system under |
which commercial munition plants can |
be fostered by the Government in peace |
times, insuring an adequate and continu-
Gus supply of guns and shells in time of
war.
The vital thing, It is contended, is to
obtain the names of 100000 men who are
obligated to come to the colors at call,
to supply them with necessary arms,
equipment, organization and mobilization
instructions and TO give them rudimen-
tary military training at least. probably |
. month year for each of three years
being all that could be hoped for. II |
this were accomplished, experts say. and
IL officers and noncommissioned officers
for the force were found and assigned, a
great stride would have been taken, a |
short cut to the formation of a volunteer
army in time OF need. that would save
of delay IL IL accomplished moth
ing more.
UNIVERSAL SERVICE IS GOAL.
While universal service is admittedly
the ultimate goal of the Administration
plan. 1t was said that a resurvey of the
military situation of the nation made
only a few months ago, and going into
questions of munitions manufacturing IA
eilities and all kindred subjects, disclosed
such a hopeless state of unpreparedness
that the Administration embarked at once
upon its campaign to build up the ma
tional defense.
In the single item of field artillery It
was found that II would take more than
three years TO produce the guns now be-
lievsd TO be necessary for a force which
could guarantee safety from invasion
Lessons from European battlehelds have
served TO treble, or even quadruple, esti-
mates as to necessary reserve material,
md to increase twofold the proportion of
light and heavy guns in any field army.
War orders nave increased the avail
able commercial facilities for manufac-
ture OF war munitions, particularly in the
last few months, when many new plants
have been put into commission. Since all
these plants are building guns and am
10 foreign measurements, how
ever, virtually every machine would have
o be re-equipped to handle American
aalibres.
q uETnnHct nHn ETn- $500