New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-08
THE LESSON OF LUNDYS LANE
Comparison Between the Behavior of Trained troops lhe
and That of the Raw Leve a Bladensburg.

cation failed so miserably that we never in
vaded Canada successfully; that at the end
of two years We were slipshod, so ineffi-
cent, as n nation in arms that we allowed
General Brown to meet 5000 British with
1900 Americans?
There may be those who believe that our
military policy improved after the War OF
1912. If they will investigate but one fact
they will see little light on the subject:
On the 18th Of December, 1860, five days be-
fore South Carolina passed the ordinance OF
secession, such was our military organization
and so scattered our force of regulars 1861
officers and men-that we had but five COM
panies ga:risonlng the nine forts along the
Southern ,oast OF the total of 1873 compa-
MES 1873 were stationed on the Western
frontier or were en- route to distant posts
west of the Mississippi; the remaining fifteen
companies were stationed along the Canadian
frontier and on the Atlantic Coast from
Maine to the Gulf of Mexico. No wonder it
took us four years to win the Civil War, at
such an enormous cost in human life.
Considering the millions Of trained troops
that our possible enemies have to-day, are
we, the Amer can people, any better prepared
for than were in 1912 or 1860?
Remember, that it took month and more,
10000 men on the Mexican border.
Remember that our total force Of regulars
to-day, at home and abroad, is 1923 officers
(ine and staff and S5965 enlisted men. OF
this total about 1900 are in the philippines
1886 in Hawaii and 2,3l5 in the Canal Zone.
This leaves total of some g., 629 officers and
men (lne and staff within the territory of
the United States to resist an invasion.
+ The mainstay of any army is the infantry.
We have thirty infantry regiments Of regu-
lars. Each regiment has twelve companies !;
each compani has about sixty-fve men, or
less, on the average, and three officers. In
all, we have 1880 infantry officers and 34,l28
enlisted men.
Our total regular cavalry consists Of 765
officers and 14,148 enlisted men.
! Our total regular mobile artillery consists
Of 252 officers and 5,513 enlisted men, organ
lied in six regiments Each regiment has six
batteries; each battery has four guns; forty
eight guns in the light artillery, forty-eight
guns in the mountain artillery, twenty four
guns in the field artillery, twenty four guns
in the horse artillery, 144 guns in all! How
about heavy howitzers and siege guns? How
about machine guns? What an altogether
hopeless force!
But, OF course, we must reckon the militia
the organized militia. On July 80, 1914
the total strength of the organized militia
on paper, was SEP officers and l19,25l men,
/ II is estimated b" our General staff that
about three-fourths of the paper strength OF
the militia could actually be put in the field
How long would 1t take to mobilize this force
| OF about 10000 or 10000 militia? Ninety
thousand, remember, is a very optimistic esti-
mate. The highest military authorities in our
service believe that in the event of war we
could put into the field total of 10000 regu-
lars and $4,000 organized militia Granting
that the militia would be adequately efficient
we should then have about $4,000 men under
arms in all. No foreign power would dream
of invading this country with less than $780,.
900 men.
At Palo Alto we began the Mexican War
with 1900 regulars, against 5000 Of the
enemy. Compare this with $4,000 regulars
against 100000 Of modern enemy. Or, II IL
plesses you. compare Palo Alto with lac, 900
regulars and militia of 1915 against a modern
enemy OF 100000.
| When you have done this, try to make up
your mind TO decide the following question
I"What do you think Of the military policy OF
the United States?"
AMERICAN CITIZEN.
Annapolis, Md, Aug. 81 1918.