Omaha daily bee., 1915-12-08


mons. they must know how modern
fighting Is done, and what to do when
the summons comes TO render themselves
Immediately available and Immediately
effective. And the government must be
their servant in this matter. must supply
them with the training they need to take
care of themselves and Of Il. The mill
tary arm OF their government. which
they will not allow 20 direct them. they
may properly use TO serve them and
make their Independence securc-and not
their own independence merely but the
rights also of those with whom they
have made common cause. should they
also he put in jeopardy They must be
fitted TO play the great role in the world
and particularly In this hemisphere, for
which they are qualified by principle and
by chsstened ambition to play.
1T IL with these ideals IN mind that
the plans OF the Department OF War for
more adequate national defense were
conceived which will be laid before you.
and which l urge you 10 sanction and
put into effect as soon MS they can be
properly scrutinz ed and discussed. They
seem to me the essential first steps, and
they seem to me for the present suffi-
Client.
Increase In Force Desired.
They contemplate an Increase OF the
standing force OF the regular army from
its present strength Of BOA officers and
l02.9S5 enlisted men OF all services to a
strength OF 7.iss officers and ls4.T0 en-
listed men, or n.s43. all told. all services.
rank and file. by the addition OF fifty
two companies OF coast artillery, fifteen
companies OF engineers, ten regiments OF
infantry. four regiments OF field artillery,
and four aero squadrons. besides 10 Of
ficers required for great variety of
extra service. especially the all important
duty Of training the citizen force OF viii N
shall presently speak. 1872 noncommis-
stoned officers for service in drill re-
cruitiug and the like. and the necessary
quota Of enlisted men for the quarter
master corps. the hospital corps. the
ordnance department. ana other similar
auxiliary services. These are the add-
tions necessary to render the army
adequate for its present duties which It
has 10 perform not only upon our own
continental coasts and borders and at our
interior army posts, but also in tho
Philippines. in the Hawaiian islands. at
the isthmus. and IN Porto Rico.
by way OF making the country ready
10 assert some part OF it's real power
promptly and on a larger scale. should
occasion arise. the plan also contemplates
experimenting the army by force OF
four hundred thousand disciplined clti-
gems. raised in inorements Of one hundred
and thirty-three thousand year
throughout period OF three years.
This II IL proposed 10 do by process
OF enlistment under which the serviceable
men OF the country would be asked 10
bind themselves TO, serve with the colorf
for PURPOSES OF training for short periods
throughout three years. and TO come tc
the colors at call at any time through
out an additional "furlough" period OF
three years. This force OF four hundred
thousand men would be provided with
personal acooutrsments as fast as enlisted
and their equipment for the field made
ready to be supplied at any time. They
would he assembled for training at stated
intervals at convenient places in asso-
citation with suitable units OF the regular
army Their period Of annual training
would not necessarily exceed two months
In the year.
Depends ON Patriotic HEpulse.
1T would depend upon the. patriotic
feeling OF the younger men OF the coun'
try whether they responded TO such call
70 service OF not. II would depend upor
the patriotic spirit OF the employers oil
the country whether they made II possible
for the younger men in their employ e
respond under favorable conditions OF
not. I. for one, do not doubt the patriotic
devotion either Of our young men or OF
those who give them employment-those
for whose benefit and protection they
would In fact enlist. would look for
ward 20 the success OF such an expert
ment with entire confidence.
AT least so much by way OF prepar'
alton for defense seems to me to be alb
solutely Imperative now. We cannot dc
less.
'-rhe program which viii be laid be
fore you by the secretary OF the navy
n similarly conceived 1t involves only
a shortenlng OF the time within which
plans long matured shall be carried out
but Il does make definite and explicit q
program which has heretofore been ONLY
Implicit, held In the minds OF the com
mittees on naval affairs and disclosed
IN the debates OF the two houses bu
, nowhere formulated or formally adopted
Il seems 20 me very clear that Il viii
be to the ADVANTAGE Of the country TO-
the congress to adopt comprehensive
plan for putting the navy upon fina
footing OF strength and efficiency ane
20 press that plan to completion within
I the next five years. We have Away
looked 10 the navy OF the country as ou
first and chief line Of defense; we have
always seen Il TO be our manifest eours'
OF prudence TO be strong on the seas
| year by year We have been creating
navy which now ranks very high index
among the navies Of the martins ma
tons. we should now definitely deter
mine how We shall complete what w
have begun. and how soon
! strength OF Newer Navy.
/ The program 10 be laid before yos
eontemplates the construction within five
( wears OF ten battleships. six hattl'
cruisers. ten scout cruisers. fifty destroy
I era. fifteen fleet submarines. eight-fiv'
coast submarines. four gunooata on'
hospital ship, two ammunition ships. tws
fuel oil ships. and one repair ship, i
Z A proposed that OF this number w
shall the first year provide for the con
struction OF two battle ships. two bat
tie cruisers. three scout cruisers. fifteer