The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-16
If Administration Plans Are Carried Out, the Military Force in Time of Need Will Reach 6S5,000
NEW CONTINENTAL
 ARMY'S STRENGTH
 IS TO BE 100000 MEN
Naval Programme for First
 Year Includes Two Dread naughts and Two Battle
 Cruisers ].
WashIngton, October I5.-The 2

Q !
 Washington, October I5.-The istrstion programme for natiok fense to be recommended to the for.h- coming sessioa of Congress. proposing total expenditure on the army and navy next year of nbout S4OO,OOO, ,OOO. virtually was completed tonight.
 Secretary Garrison's plan, approved by the President, calls for an increase of $75.00O.OOO in the war departments annual appropriation to he used for augmentfng the regular army to 14O,OOO and the creation of a new continental army of 4O9OOO men, which together with the militia of 125,OOO would give the United States military force in time of need of 6s5OoO.
 Approval also was given today to the proposal of Secretary Daniels and the general board of the navy for a five year naval construction programme to cost $5oo.0o0,000 giving the navy 10 new dreadnaughts and six battle cruisers, as we'll as more than 70 submarines. 50 de stroyers. 10 scout cruisers and host oi auxiliary ships.
 Secretary Daniels and members of the general board were in conference until late tonight discussing the exact num- Der of ships to be recommended for the first year and a plan for equalizing the expenditures over the fiye-year period
 After the conference of Secretary Dan iels, Assistant Secretary Roosevelt and it became known that the following ma val construction programme for the, first of the five years had been decided Upon
 Two dreadnaughts. two battle cruisers 25 coast submarines, five sea- going sub. marines, 12 destroyers, an increase oi 5000 in personnel and augmentation by 2o0 of the Naval academy student body.
 Secretary Garrison has guarded care fully his plan for strengthening the mil great continental army for defense and virtually nothing was known of it until tonight.
 The programme proposed is:
 1. Regular army, lio,o0o men, an in  crease of more than 5000 men in the present establishment
 ?. A continental army, 100000 strong, en- listed for six years for service within the continental United States. These men would serve two months year for the first three years with the colors under going period of intensive training. The TOT i'm ,a fuil1ugh, subject. to call in time of need
 It is estimated that 10000 of the 54O0OO men thus provided for would be non combatants of the medical corps, or other auxiliary forces not included in the fight ing line.
 Behind this army would be the National Guard now some 125,0oo strong but whose numbers might be substantially augmented by the organization of the continental army. The plans contemplat. the transfer of such national guard of ficers and men as desire it into the con tinental army and more liberal treat. ment of the guardsmen will be urged and the increase of these state forces en- ccuraged in every possible way.
 Programme in Detail
 Increases in the regular establishment, contemplat ted are:
 Infantry-Ten regiments
 Field Artillery-Four regiments
 Coast Artillery-Fifty-two companies
 Engineer Corps-Fifteen comanies
 Aviation Corps-Two attachments
 All of these new commands would bs organized at peace. strength. Adequate supplies of small arms and field guns and howtzers and of reserve ammunition for the enlarged establishment would be sought.
 The plan is erected on the theory that the nation must depend on citizen army largely of a volunteer character, in time of war There are many hundreds oi thousands of young men. 1t is said. who have both the time and the inclination to devote at least two months year tc rigid and intensive military yraining, and the continental army would be composed -of these, leaving to the national guard those citizens whose responsibilities pre- vent their devoting more than one night a week or so to military service. With six months actual field training, army officers are confident that the continental army would be as thoroughly organized as is possible with any system short of compulsory service and a regular estab- lishn ent of 5O0.000.
 Officers Recruited From Civilians
 officers for the new army would be ob- tained from civil life almost entirely, a. the West Point Military Academy would be over-taxed even to supply officers for the increased regular. army. Even at present, not more. than half of the off cers of the army are West Point grad uates and an extension of the work al West Point would be required to care for the new regiments to be created.
 For the continental army, the plan con templates drawing from the national guard and from educational institutions where military training is compulsory al least 1000 officers a year for each of the first two years. Eventually it is hoped that all military schcools in the country can be standardized as to their courses in engineering and other military sciences These courses would become speciality it is believed, if a given number of rank ing graduates each year were assured oi commissions in the continental army
 The new army would be organized fir convenient geographical 'tiivtgions and or theory that its members could be citizens
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