Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1915-12-11

nlan. Of the department OF war for more
adequate national defense were conceived
which will be laid before you. and which
urge you to sanction and put into et'
feet as soon as they can be properly scrn-
tinted and discussed. They seem to me
the essential first steps. and they seem
TO me for the present sufficient
They contemplate an increase or ire
standing force OF the regular army from
i.s present strength of 5o3 officers ana
1902 9S5 enlisted men of all services to
strength OF 7l3G officers and 1890 en-
listed men. or l4l. N3. all told, all serV-
ices. rank and file by the addition OF -
companies of coast artillery, 10 com
panies OF engineers. ten regiments of in
fantry. four regiments Of field artillery.
and four nero squadrons. besides 80 ON
GERS required for a great variety OF extra
service. especially the all-important duty
Of training the citizen force Of which |
shall presently speak. 192 non-comWis-
stoned officers for service in drill. recruit
ing and the Ike. and thesnecessary quota
Of enlisted men for the quartrrmastrr
corps, the hospital corps. the ordnanc"
department and other similar auxiliary
services. These are the additions nec"s-
sary 10 render the army adequate for its
present duties duties which II has 10
perform not only upon our own CONT
mental coasts and borders and AT our in
terror army posts. but also i'm 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
10 assert some part of its real power
promptly ana upon larger scale. should
occasion arise. the plan also contcmplates
experimenting the army by n force Of
10000 disciplined citizens. raised In incre-
ments of $4,000 year throughout pc
riod OF three years. This II Is proposed
TO do by n process OF enlistment under
which the serviceable men OF the coun-
try would be asked To- bind themselves To
serve with the colors for purposes OF
training for short periods throughout
three years. and to come to the Colors
at call at any time throughout an add
tioual "furlough" period of three years.
This force of 600 men would be pro-
vided with personal accoutrements AZ fast
as enlisted and their equipment for the
field made ready to he 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.
II would depend upon the patriotic feel
ing Of the younger men of the country
whether they responded to such call
To service or not. 1t would depend upon
the patriotic spirit OF the employers of
the country whether they made 1t posi-
BILE for the younger men In their en-
ploy 10 respond under favorable condi-
lions or NOT. I, for one. do not doubt
the patriotic devotion either OF our young
men or Of those who give them employ
ment-those for whose benefit and protcc-
tor they would in fact enlist.
Program for the Navy.
The secretary OF the navy is asking
also for the immediate addition to the
personnel of the navy of $50 sailors.
$500 apprentice seamen. and l.500 marines.
This increase would be sufficient to care
for the ships which are to be completed
within the fiscal year 1917 and also for
the number OF men which must be put in
training TO man the ships which will be
completed early in 1918. II is also neces-
sary that the number OF midshipmen at
the naval academy at Annapolis should
be Increased by at least 800 in order that
the force OF officers should be more rap
Idly added to: and authority is asked to
appoint for engineering duties only. ap-
proved graduates of engineering colleges
and for service In the aviation corps a
certain number OF men taken from civil
life.
IL this full program should be carried
out we should have built or building in
1921. according to the estimates OF surviv-
al and standards of classification followed
by the general board of the department
an effective navy consisting OF q battle
ships OF the first line, six battle cruisers
% battleships of the second line. ten ar
mored cruisers. Is scout cruisers. five
first-class cruisers. three second class
cruisers. ten third-class cruisers. los de-
troyers. IL fleet submarines. 157 coast sub
marines six monitors. 90 gunboats. four
supply ships. 10 fuel ships. four trans
ports. three tenders to torpedo vessels
eight vessels of special types. and two
ammunition ships. This would be a navy
fitted to our needs and worthy OF our
traditions.
Trade and Shipping.
But armies and instruments of war are
only part Of what has to be considered
IL We are to consider the supreme matter
of national self-sufficiency and security
in all its aspects. There are other great
matters which will be thrust upon our at
tention whether we will or not. There
is. for example. a very pressing question
OF trade and shipping involved in this
great problem of national adequacy. II
is necessary for many weighty reasons OF
national efficiency and development that
we should have a great merchant ma
rine. The great merchant fleet we once
used to make us rich. that great body of
sturdy sailors who used to carry our flag
into every sea, and who were the pride
and often the bulwark OF the nation we
have almost driven out OF existence by
inexcusabe neglect and Indifference and
by a hopelessly blind and provincial pol
Icy OF so-called economic protection II
Is high time we repaired our mistake and
resumed our commercial independence on
the seas.
For IL is a question OF independence.
II other nations go to war or seek to
hamper each others commerce. our mer-
chants. II seems. are at their mercy
to do with as they please. We must use
their ships and use them as they deter
mine. We have not ships enough OF our
own. We cannot handle our own COM
merce on the seas. Our independence is
provincial. and Is only on land and with
in our own borders. We not likely
to be permitted to use even the ships of
other nations In rivalry OF their own
trade. and are without means to extend
our commerce even where the doors are
wide open and our goods desired. Such
situation is not to be endured. II Is