Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-03-31
America Utterly Unprepared for Emergency Of War,
Says Major General Carter in Book Just Published

1T should require no argument to
prove that in the emergency of war
we would need for our first line not
less than $4,000 men at nee The
present force of regulars at many iso-
lated stations within the United
States, together with the estimated
available organized militia, scattered
through forty-eight states, would not
aggregate in excess of o%ne.fourth of
the requirement of the first call-mo'
bilization is hardly the term to use re-
garding forces which have none OF
the larger tactical organizations COM
plete in peace. There would result
an immediate necessity for a call for
unframed volunteers.
1T seems very certain that we may
count always upon less than 100000
men of the ~forty-eight states being
available as organized militia, with a
limited field of action. If this force,
which, TO BE AVAILABLE FOR
WAR, MUST VOLUNTEER AS IN.
DIVIDUALS AFTER WAR HAS
BEEN DECLARED, is to constitute
our main reliance, then some steps
must be taken to increase it many fold
It would seem that as practical PEG.
pie Americans would no longer trif1e
with so grave a situation, but seek
a remedy without delay"
How hOpelessly incompetent our
present military force would be In
an eventuality of any size at all, Is
brought to us forcibly wyhen we con.
slider that in the fall of Przemysl, more
Austrian troopers and officers were
taken prisoners by the Russians than
constitute u entire available mill.
tary force at this time.
Demands Immediate Action.
The necessity for action in time Of
in this fashion by General Carter:
TT is morally certain that, not only
our altruistic ideals Of fair play, but
the official construction and delimita-
lions of our recently confirmed trea.
ties of arbitration will absolutely put
a ban upon all preparations for war
during the period provided for prelim.
mary discussions Of. matters in dis.
pute. The marked advantage of this
to other nations whose armies and re.
serves are always organized and
equipped is apparent, for it would at
tract no comment for each and every
individual of such a force to put him,
self and his equipments in a state Of
fitness for immediate service, because
it is his duty to- do so. In the mean.
time we could not fill a single vacan-
cy in our skeleton army"
Better than any similar work does
General Carter's "The American
Army" drive home the fact that the
United States is really in a most help
less state so far as her military forces
at present are concerned but not in
a hopeless one He simply shows that
the time has arrived when: we should
act 1t is just such a crisis 3as:s.that
which Patrick Henry met fUlt.f6rce
with his memorable speech fofs]ust
in his day, so now again, the Zine
has come for us to act Why stand
here idle?"
The chapters on military lessons
to be drawn from history, on military
policies, on the economy Of provision,
organization and character of the
army, colonial troops, reserves, tregi-
mental depots, federal volunteers, ex.
peditionary force, army administra-
ton, army command, general staff
corps, officers, army schools; medical
science and organized militia, make
''The American Army a c~oa9ereffen-
sive digest of the views and SaAAJer-
fences of one Of the foremost iiving
military men. 20 q 4S, aFsjs& s19bnia
W ,YG4l yEtfg%. &m.,~Ne. r. - 49,. Sc "a .4.rF.r, |N On .#r.