The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-10-16
ARMY PLAN CALLS
FOR TOTAL FORCE
OF $4,000 MEN
Garrison Would Raise Number of
Regulars to 10000
HAS APPROVAL OF PRESIDENT
ContinentaIs to Enlist for Six Years
with Actual Service Annually of
TWO Months

Washington, Oct 16,-The admins
tration program for national defense
to be recommended to the forthcom-
ing session Of Congress. proposing a
total expenditure on the army and
navy next year of about S400,000000,
was virtually completed at Washing
ton last night, Secretary Garrison's
plan, approved by the president. calls
for an increase of $75,O00,00O in the
war departments annual appropria-
tion, to be used for augmenting the
regular army to 100000 men and the
creation of a new continental army
of 100000 men, which, together with
the militia OF 125,000 would give the
United States military force in time
of need of 6S5,O
Approval also was given yesterday
to the proposal OF Secretary Daniels
and the general board of the navy for
a fve-year naval construction pro
gram to cost $500,000,000, giving the
navy 10 new dreadnoughts and six
battle cruisers as well as more than
20 submarines, 80 destroyers, 10
scout cruisers and host of auxiliary
ships.
Secretary Garrison has carefully
guarded his plan for strengthening
the military establishment and orga-
nizing a great continental army for
defense, and almost nothing was
known of it until last night. The
program proposes -
First-Regular army, 100000 men,
an increase of more than $4,000 men
in the present establishment.
Second--A continental army, 400,.
600 strong. enlisted for six years for
service within the continental United
states. These men would serve two.
months a year for 4the first three
years with the colors, undergoing a.
period of intensive training, The RE-
naming three years they would be on
furlough subject to call in time of
need 1t is estimated that 10000 of
the $4,000 men thus provided for
would be noncombatants of the medi-
cal corps, or other auxiliary forces
not included in the fighting line.
Behind this army would he the ma
tional guard, now some 125O0O strong
but whose numbers might be substan-
TALLY augmented by the organization
of the continental army. The plans
contemplate the transfer of such ma
tional guard officers and men as de-
sire it into the continental army, and
more liberal treatment of the guards
men will be urged and the increase Of.
these state forces encouraged in
every possible way.
The plan is erected on the theory
that the nation must depend upon
citizen army, largely of a volunteer
character, in time OF war. There are
hundreds of thousands of young men,
it is said who have both the time
and inclination to devote at least two
months year to rigid and intensive
military training. and the continental
army would be composed of these,
leaving to the national guard those
citizens whose responsibilities pre-
vent their deyoting more than one
night a week or so to military SER
vice.
Officers for the new army would be
obtained from civil life almost entire
ly. as the West Point military acade-
my would be overtaxcd even to sup
ply officers for the increased regular
army. Even at present, not more
than half of the officers of the army
are West Point graduates, and an eX-
tension of the work at West Point
would be required to care for the
new regiments to be created.
Fancy eating apples and pears at
INs,y, a., A