The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1915-12-17

ELiZe6 and discussed. They seem 10 re
The essential first steps. and they seem
20 ne for The present sufficient
They contemplate al increase u the
standing force OF tie regular army from
is present strength Of T. g3 officers and
I11. 9S5 enlisted men ot al services 70 .
strength Of lbs officers and 134 19T En-
listed men. OF HES al told. all seTy-
ices. rank and file. by The addition q j.
CON pEries q coast artillery, Z com
panies q engineers. ten regiments Of IL
fsrtTy, four regiments q field artillery,
snd four aero s1ua6rors, besides 10 on
GERS required for great variety o. extra
service especially the all-inportant duty
q training the citizen force Of which
shall presently speak 792 non-commis-
stoned officers for service n drill recruit
ing and the Ike. and the necessary quota
Of enlisted men for the quArte-nas,eC
corps the hospital corps. the ordnance
department and other similar auxiliary
services These are the additions neces
sary 70 render the army adequate toT its
present duties, duties which IL has 20
perform not only upon our own CONT
rental coasts and borders and az cur in
terror army posts but also IN The Phil
ippines. IN the HRwaiig Islands, a. the
iSthuus, and in Porto Rico.
Force Of Trained Citizens.
By way OF making the country ready
70 assert some part Of its real power
promptly gn6 upon z larger scale, should
occasion arise. the plan also contsnplgtes
experimenting the army by E force q
40 900 disciplined citizens, raised in incre-
nelts OF 1900 8 year throughout Pc
nod Of three years. This il is proposed
10 90 by e process Of enlistment under
which the serviceable men o. the coun-
try would be asked TO bind themselves 70
serve with the colors for purposes Of
training for shoyt periods throughout
three years and 70 come 10 the colors
az call st any time throughout an add
toual '-turlough" period Of three years.
This force Of 411.JlH men would be pro-
y5ded with personal Announcements as fast
as enlisted and their equipment for the
field made ready 70 be supplied II any
time. They would be assembled for train
ing al stated intervals 81 convenient
places IN association with suitable units
OF the regular army. Their period Of
annual training would not necessarily e1-
coed tEo months IN the year.
II would depend upon the patriotic feel
ing Of the younger men Of the country
whether they responded 10 such & call
10 service or not. Il would depend upon
the patriotic spirit Of the employers Of
the country whether they made IL posi-
BE for the younger men in their en-
ploy 10 respond under favorable ooDdi-
tons Or not I, for one, DO not doubt
the PATRIOTS devotion either Of our young
men or Of those WHO give them employ
ment-those for whose benefit and protec-
ton they would IN fact enlist
Program fer the Navy.
The secretary Of the navy Is asking
also for the immediate addition 70 the
personnel OF the navy Of 1880 sailors.
$50 apprentice ssamsn. and l.508 marines.
This increase would be sufficient 10 care
for the ships which are 10 be completed
within the fiscal year 1877 and also for
the number Of men which must be put IN
training 10 man the ships which viii be
completed early IN Lsz6 Il is also nsces-
saVy that the number Of rnidshipnsn al
the naval academy at Annapolis should
be increased by Fl least 500 IN order thai
the force Of officers should be more rap
Idly added 70: and authority Is asked 10
appoint for engineering duties only, sp-
proved graduates Of engineering COLLEGES
and for service In the aviation CORPS q
certain number Of men taken from civil
life.
II this full program should be carried
out We should have built or building in
1921, according 10 the estimates Of gurviv-
e. and standards % classification followed
by the general board Of the department,
an effective navy consisting Of 2 battle
ships OF the first line, six battle cruisers,
3 battlsships Of the second line. ten ar
moTed cruisers, Is scout cruisers. five
hrst-class cruisers, three second-clsss
cruisers. ten third-elsss cruisers IDS de-
tToysrs, Is feat submarines ~ coast sub
marines, six monitors, % gunboatK. four
supply ships Is fuel ships, four trans
ports, three tenders 70 torpedo vessels,
eight vessels Of special types. and rzo
ammunition ships. This would be a navy
fitted 20 our needs and worthy Of our
traditions.
Trade and Shipping.
But armies and instruments Of war are
only part Of what has 10 be considered
Il We are 10 consider the supreme matter
Of national self-EuGiciency ana security
IN al its sspects- There are other great
matters which win be thrust upon our st-
tentioa whether We xsn or not There
ID, for example. very pressing question
Of trade and shipping involved in this
great problem Of national adequacy. II
Is necessary for many Weighty reasons Of
national efficiency and development that
we should have q great merchant ma
rine. The great merchant feet we once
used 70 make u rich, that great body Of
sturdy sailors who used to carry our flag
into every sea, and who were the pride
and often the bulwark OF the nation. va
have almost driven out OF existence by
inexcusahle neglect and indifference and
by hopelessly blind and provincial pol
Icy OF so-cslled economic protection. II
is high time we repaired our mistake and
resumed our commercial independence On
the seas.
For IT IL q question Of Independence.
II other nations 90 20 war OF seek 10
hamper each others commerce. our roer-
chants. IL seems. are at their mercy
10 do with IS they please. We must use
their ships, and use them as they deter
mine. We have not ships enough of our
own We cannot handle our own com
merce On the seas. Our independence ia
provincial. and is only on land and with
IN our OWL boT6erk- We are not likely
TO be permitted 10 use even the ships OF
other nations IN rivalry Of their own
trade. and are without means to extend
our commerce even where ths doors are
wide open and orr goods desired. Such
3 situation is not TO be endured. II in
OF capital Importance not only that the
United States should be its own carrier
On the seas and enjoy the economic In
which only an adannafn mar.