The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-12-30
Secretary Garrison Working
Out Details of Definite
Military Policy
TO ENROLL BIG FORCE
WITHIN THREE YEARS
Provision to Be Made Within Six
Years for an Additional Force of
100000 Reserves Universal Military
Service Ultimate Aim.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 80. - Secre-
tary Garrison is giving over his entire
holiday week at his New Jersey home
to preparedness for the Congress
sional military committees, the army s
proposals in the administration nation
al defense program. When congress re-
convenes Tuesday, he will be ready to
submit facts, figures and arguments in
support of the plans.
When Mr.. Garrison left WASHINGTON
ne took copies of every departmental
report and official document bearing on
the preparedness problem. From an Of
fetal who has had much to do with
framing the plan, and who will be
among those authorized to present to
the committees an application of the
administration views, was obtained last
night the following outline of what the
secretary expects to tell congress the
proposed program will do.
l. Plan definite military policy
founded on the unanimous conclusions
Of military experts of the nation, past
and present.
?. Enroll within three years and
give some preliminary training at least
to 100000 mobile troops
}. Provide within six years for an
additional force of 100000 reserves.
4. Furnish the most attractive form
of voluntary military service it is pos
sible to devise.
D. Furnish a system to which uni
versal military service could be APP
piled quickly and without the necessity
Of extensive reorganization.
6. Furnish a regular mobile army
sufficient to cooperate in the training
of the continentals, and also to carry
on the necessary peace activities.
Z. Furnish through cadet companies
attached to regular regiments an ade-
quate and certain school for regular
continental and reserve officers
). Furnish, beginning at once.
system under which an adequate en-
listed reserve for the regular army
would be built up and maintained.
.. Begin at once, to be concluded in
four years, the expenditure of $81.7O0-
600 on extension and Improvement of
coast defenses, making them far SUI
perior to those which any other nation
has ever contemplated
10. Furnish an adequate trained
force to man all coast defenses, now
lacking nearly 80 per cent of the neees-
sary personnel.
Il. Build up within four wears a re-
serve supply of material to cost $lO4.-
sumption of ammunition shown by the
best available reports from the Euro
pean war.
II. Inaugurate a system under which
commercial munition plants can be fos-
tered by the government in peace
times, ensuring an adequate and con
tinuous supply of guns and shells in
time of war
The vital thing, it is contended. is to
obtain the names of 100000 men who
are obligated to come to the colors at
call, to supply them with necessary
arms, equipment organization and
mobilization instructions, and to give
them rudimentary military training at
least, probably a month each year for
each of three years being all that could
be hoped for.
While universal service is admitted
ly the ultimate goal of the administra-
ton plan it was said q resurvey of the
military situation a few months ago
disclosed such hopeless state of I'M
preparedness that the administration
embarked at once upon its project for
national defense. In the single item
of field artillery, it was found that it
would take more than three years to
produce the guns now believed neces-
sary to guarantee safety from invasion.
Lessons from European battles have
served to treble or even quadruple esti-
mates on reserve material necessary