The Washington times., 1915-10-19

4 likewise. for the necessities OF defend
Ing the colonies. anl enforcing the
The British terr1,oriai army army Was Was de-
veloped In it's present form largely
through the constructive genius OF Lord
haldane. recently retired from the war
onice. II represents the national de-
termination. crystaliiz by the sorry
| experience OF the Boer war, to have en-
adequate force ready for emergency;
and II has been tested, on the wnoie
hut there is one impressive difference
between the British scheme and the
Ga rrison plan. a difference that will re-
auire a deal OF attention before legis-
laton will pass
Great Britain Possessed. before the
present organization was adopted. a
regular army and militia not unlike
our state militia. The reorganization
did away with the militia. and created
out OF II the special reserve force OF
Great Britain. The Garrison plan pro-
poses to preserve the State militia,
which is regarded by almost all mill
thry men as an unwieldy Establishment
that failed to Justify itself In the test
OF the Spanish war. and introduces. be-
tween II and the regular army, the con-
tinental army corresponding almost ex-
actly to the British Territorials.
What Garrison Plan Requires.
In the British regular army. enlist
ment IL for twelve years. which may
be extended rs high as twenty-one
years. The soldier may at the end OF
three years with the colors be furlough-
ed and transferred to the reserve. The
Garrison plan would place the enlist
ment term at six years, OF which two
would be spent with the colors and the
last four in the reserve; that Is, subject
TO call In case OF war or Its menace
Thus tho two schemes are at this point
closely parallel
The British territorial army In peace
/ includes about S2oooo men. enlisted for
four yesrs; the Garrison plan for the
continental army Is six years. and II
would numbsS 100000. In Britain the
territorials Are required to devote n
fortnight to the annual camp, and to
drill a certain number OF times in ad-
dition: the Garrison plan requires the
continentals to give two months an
nually to regular service during the
first three years OF their term: after
that they are furloughed subject to call
II needed. II will he observed that the
Garrison plan requires more actual
service for the first three years than Is
demanded by the British scheme. This
Is considered necessary in order to es-
| tablish quickly a body OF really efri-
cient soldiery.
The Big Question.
Great Britain did not need such rapid
development. because there was In the
country a great body OF veterans Of
the Boer war. who to a large extent
enlisted In the territorials or the regu-
lar army. and for whom organization,
rather than elemental training. was the
immediate necessity. In this country
there are few experienced soldiers
among the body OF citizens.
The really big question Is. whether
the National Guard shall be retained
after a territorial army. or continental
army, Is organized. There is strong
political support for an entirely df-
ferent plan. which would expand
and perfect the national guard
without interposing any continental
army at all between it and the regu-
lar establishment. On the other hand,
most Of the military experts consider
that the militia OF the States would
have little excuse for existence once
the continental army were effectively
organized. Between the two theories
there will be animated discussicQ be-
fore any plan is adopted.