The Washington times., 1915-10-09
THE GARRISON ARMY PLAN

SA1h oVOo SAh0 ShASSo SS~s
THE GARRISON ARMY PLAN
The maximum authorized strength
Of the United States army, under
present law. is 100000. There is no
reserve back Of this line, such .es all
the military nations have created
and kept at the highest possible
state of efficiency, organization, and
readiness to respond to calls for
mobilization. The national guard Of
the States does not correspond in
any way to the reserves of the Eu-
ropean armies.
Details have not been given pub
licity concerning the army reorgani-
zation and expansion plan which
Secretary Of War Garrison is to
urge upon the President, though it
is announced that the scheme has
been perfected and laid before the
Executive. One intimation. however,
Is that it is proposed to add 10000
men to the regular army's strength,
and then begin the systematic cre-
alton Of a reserve.
Under accepted military models, a
reserve is composed Of the entire
force Of men who have served in
the army and become proficient SOL
diers, afterward retiring to civilian
pursuits. These are made subject
to call when they may be needed. to
resume their places in the ranks;
they are carefully listed, indexed,
assigned to their commands. re-
quired to keep the military authori-
ties informed as to their move
ments, and posted as to the places
at which they must report when
mobilization is ordered. They are
given enough military training to
keep them in good condition for ac-
tual service.
Manifestly it will be a slow pro-
cedure, this building up of a great
reserve on which the Government
may rely in time Of need. 1t will be
faster in proportion as the number
of men in the army is increased,
and as their periods Of service there
are shortened. An army of 100000
men would create a theoretical re-
serve of 100000 at the end Of the
period Of enlistment, provided all of
them were retired and remained
available for service. If the enlist
ment period were one year, there
would be such an addition to the
reserve every year; if that period
be three years. then there will be
only an addition Of such reserve
force once in three years. 1t would
require a long time to create, with
army and reserve together, an avail
able force anywhere near 100000.
1t would seem, in view of present
conditions in the world, that a regu-
lar army Of 100000 must be entirely
too small to be the basis of such a
plan. If this country is going to be
involved in Europe's troubles, the
crisis may be expected to come long
before anything like an ample re-
serve army could be created by such
a plan. Therefore all the elements
seem to dictate that a much larger
regular establishment be created.
Three hundred thousand men would
not be too many, if officers and
equipment can be provided for them.
1t would be better to have the stand
ing force large in the early period
of the effort to create reserve, in
order to accumulate quickly the
largest possible number of reserv-
lists. After that, the number of men
in the regular force could properly
enough be reduced if general condi-
tions justified it.
There is need that the regular
army and its reserve be not con-
founded with the militia. There
must be reorganization of the
militia, and militia reserve should
be established. But until the militia
establishments of the States shall
have been made much more efficient
than they generally are now, it will
be a mistake to place too much re.
lance on them and omit the most
thorough measures to enlarge the
regular army and build up power.
full reserve for it.