Omaha daily bee., 1915-10-17
WILSON WILL ASK
INCREASE IN ARMY
Garrison's Plan, o. KID by Chief,
Calls for 100000 Regulars
and 400, 900 Continentals.
ee5,ooO IN TIME OF NEED

/
defense to be recommended to the
forthcoming session of congress, pro-
posing a total expenditure on the
army and navy next year Of about
oO.0O0,0OO, was practically COM
pleted tonight.
Secretary Garrison's plan, ap-
proved by the president, calls for an
increase of s75.OOO,OOO in the War
departments annual appropriation
to be used for augmenting the regu-
lar army to 100000 men and the
creation Of a new continental army
of 400, 900 men, which, together with
the militia of $4,000, would give
the United States a military force in
time of need of 1000.
Daniels Plan Approved.
Approval also was gwen today to the
proposal of Secretary Daniels and the
! general board Of the navy for q five-year
naval construction program to cost $780,
10000. giving the navy ten new dread
noughts and six battle cruisers, as well
as more than seventy submarines. fifty
destroyers. ten scout cruisers and q host
of auxiliary ships.
I Secretary Daniels and members Of the
general board were I'm conference until
| late tonight discussing the exact number
Of ships TO be recommended for the first
year and a scheme for eaualising the ex-
penditures over the five-year period.
After the conference adjourned at mid
night, 1t became known that the follow
| H. a..
first Of the five years had been decided
upon:
Two dreadnoughts, two battle cruisers,
twenty-five coast submarines, five sea-
going submarines, twelve destroyers, an
increase of 5000 in personnel and an aug
mentation by $50 of the Naval academy
student body.
Guards His Plan.
Secretary Garrison has carefully
guarded his plan for strengthening the
military establishment and organising a
great continetal army for defense and
practically nothing was known of It until
tonight.
The program proposes:
First-Regulsr army. 10000 men, an In
crease of more than 5000 men In the
present establishment.
strong, enlisted for six years for service
within the continental United States
These men would serve two months q
year for the first three years with the
colors. undergoing a period of intensive
training. The remaining three years they
would be on furlough. subject to call ir
time of need.
1t is estimated that 10000 OF the b4o, ,ooC
men thus provided for would be non.
combatants in the medical corps or othea
auxiliary forces not included In the fight
ing line.
National Guard Behind This.
Behind this army would be the Nationa
Guard, now some 1000 strong, but whose
numbers might be substantially aug
mented by the organization of the CONT
mental army. The plans contemplate the
transfer of such National Guard officers
and men as desire it into the continental
army and more liberal treatment of the
guardsmen would be urged. and increase
OF these state forces encouraged In every
possible way.
Increases in the regular establishment
contemplated arei
Infantry-Ten regiments
| Field Artillery-Four regiments.
Coast Artillery-Fifty companieA
Engineer Corps-Fifteen companies.
Aviation Corps-Two detachments.
All of these new commands would bt
organized at peace strength. Adequate
supplies of small arms and field gum
and howitzers and OF reserve ammunition
for the enlarged establishment would b
sought.
Must Depend on Volunteers.
The plan is erected on the thory tha
the nation must depend upon a citizeI
army. largely of a volunteer character
In time of war. There are many hun
dreds of thousands OF young men, 1t Il
said. who have both the time and in
! clination to devote at least two months
year to rigid and intensive militar,
! training and the continental army woulC
be composed of these, leaving to the Ma
tional Guard those citizens whose re
. sponsibilitiSs prevent their devoting NOR
than one night a week OF so to milftar!
service.
With six months actual field training
army officers are confident that the con
tinental army would be as thorough!
organized as is possible with any sys
, TEN short OF compulsory service and
regular establishment Of a half a milllol
} men. Officers for the new army woul,
y be obtained from civil life almost entirely
D as the West Point military academ,
!. would be overtaxed even to supply of
a ficers for the increased regular army
Even at present not more than half o
the officers of the army are West Poin
. graduates. and an extension OF the worl
= at West Point would be required to car
for the new regiments to be created.
Drafting from Guard.
For the continental army the plsl
contemplates drafting from the Nations
guard and from additional institution
! where military training is compulsory a
least l.OcO officers a year for each o
: the first two years. Eventually, II I
hoped. that all military schools in tn,
country can be standardized as 70 theil
course In engineering and other Inilitar
> sciences. These courses would become ,
speciality. II Is believed. II a given mum
Der Of ranking graduates each year wer,
: assured OF commissions in the continental
army.
The new army would be organized n
convenient geographical divisions and on
o the theory that its members could oe cit
liens Of the district in which their or
: ganizations were located. Regular place
: OF mobilization and for storage of equip
Q ment for each company would be pro