The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-06
Secretary Garrison's Army NIL.

Secretary Garrlson's Army NIL.
The army bill which Secretary
GARRISON will present to the Com.
mttees on Military Affairs when Con.
gress meets this week has been pub
lished for preliminary general criti.
cism, a procedure to be commended.
The measure does not represent the
views Of the General STAFF and the
War College Division, mainly In tho
sense that the Secretary's inclusion
Of the continental army In the first
line Of defence is not approved. Upon
this and other points Of difference
light will be thrown when the War
College Divisions study Of the mill
tary policy Of tho country Is published
on Friday Of this week.
1t IS no secret that the army ex-
perts holding that 100000 scientiA.
cally trained troops supported by 30O,-
600 electives in the reserve must be
ready to repel invasion. look with
dlstrust upon Mr.. GARRIsoN's cont.
Mental army Of volunteers fitted for
war in ok months during a period Of
three years. The reason Of this Is that
there are at least two Powers in Eu-
rope that, according to the calcula-
lions Of the General Staf. could land
nearly 100000 troops in fifteen days
and about the same number In forty
one days later II the United States
had lost control Of the sea along its
coast This estimate Is based upon
shipping known to be available for
the transportation Of armed forces
with all their impedimenta. So there
will be a sharp fght in Congress over
the continental army, Its organiza-
ton and training. There win further
be insistence upon n larger. more fex-
lble and more competent General Staff.
the present body being wofully made
quate and admittedly behind tho
times, II any plan of army expansion
Is to be sanctioned and authorized
by Congress-
Secretary GARRIsoN's bill contains
details Of regular army expansion of
which there has already been a fore
cast. and the plan of q continental
army Of Federal volunteers was to be
found in his "Outline" Of military
policy with which everybody should
low he familiar. The measure pre-
pared for submission to Congress is
an elaboration of the "Outline" bear
ing chiefly upon organization. But
the proposal for the formation OF
thirty cadet companies of 100 men
each, which + to serve with the col
ors for a year and learn the duties
Of officers, is new. These companies
r to be recruited from officers OF
the National Guard. students and
graduates Of educational institutions
having military courses, and students
and graduates Of other colleges and
universities After a year of inten.
sive training the cadets are to 60 into
an officers reserve corps. 1t will be
seen that this feature OF the bill Is
m approximation to the Swiss and
Australian systems about which a
good deal will be heard in Congress.
The question Of obtaining 1000 ell
gible young men NO form this training
corps is debatable, as, In fact, Is the
feasibility Of organizing n continental
army. All plans for n military pol.
icy are. however, tentative. The coun.
try must be heard from : the responsi.
bility IS with Congress. Secretary
GARRISON does not commit himself
with regard to the term of enlistment
in the regular army which is to feed
the reserve. And he leaves blank
spaces when dealing with the expan'
sion Of the General Staff, which has
become essential to any plan Of mill
tary policy that may be adopted. His
bill should be regarded rs n rough
draft of a system of national defence
by the land forces.