Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-12-09

L
/ training tbsy need to take cars OF them
/ selves and OF It, The military arm OF their
| government. which they will not allow TO
l dirAct them. they may properly uss 10
/ serve them and make their Independence
| seeure-~and not their own Independence
merely but tha rights also OF those with
whom they have made common cause.
should they also be- put In jeopardy.
They muat be fitted TO play the great
role I'm the world. and particularly In this
hemisphere, for which they are quail
fed by principle and BY ehaAtensd ambi-
| tion TO play,
Ii Ii with these ideals In mind that ths
plans Of tho department OF war for more
adequate national defense were conceived
which will be laid before you. and which
! urge YOU to sanction and put into ef.
feet ~ soon ~ they can be properly scru-
| tintzed and discussed. They seem TO mo
the essential nrst steps. and they seem
| 10 mo for the present SUFFICIENT.
They contemplate an increase Of the
standing force OF the regular army from
It's present strength Of b.o23 officers and
2.sab enlisted men Of all services to a
strength OF 7.ia6 officers and iA.707 en-
listed men, or tl.s4s oil told. all serv-
Ices. rank and fils. by the addition of g.
companies OF coast artillery is com
panies of engineers. ten regiments OF In
fantry. four regiments OF field artillery.
and four aero sluadrons, besides $50 oni-
GERS required for great variety OF extra
service. especially the aii-'nportant duty
OF training the citizen force OF which 7
shall presently speak, 7s2 non-eommis-
stoned officers for service In drill recruit
Ing and the like, and the necessary quota
OF enlisted men for tina auartermaster
corps, the hospital corps. the ordnance
department and other similar auxiliary
services These are the additions neces.
aary 10 render the army adequate for Its
present duties. duties which II has to
perform not only upon our own CONT
mental coasts and borders and at our In
terror army posts, but also In the Phil
ippines, In the Hawaiian islands. 1T the
isthmus. and In Porto Rico
Force Of Trained Citizens.
by way Of making the country ready
TO assert some part OF It's real power
promptly and upon = larger scale, should
occasion arise, the plan also eontempiates
| Supplementary the army by force OF
S0o,ooo disciplined citizens. raised Ia incre-
meuts OF iss,o00 year throughout PEE
riod OF three years. This II 10 proposed
TO do by y process OF enlistment under
which the seryieeahie men of the coun-
try would be asked to bind themselves to
serve with the coiors for purposes OF
training for short periods throughout
three years. and TO come to the eoiors
az call at any time throughout an addt-
tienal "furlough" period Of three years.
This force OF 10000 men would be pro-
vtded with personal accoutrements as fast
m enlisted and their equipment for the
field made ready TO be supplied at any
time. They would be assembled for train
ing at stated Intervals at convenient
places In association with suitable units
OF the regular army, Their period OF
annual training would not necessarily ex-
coed two months In the year.
IL would depend upon the patriotic feele
Ing OF the younger men OF the country
whether they responded to such call
TO service or net. II would depend upon
thu patriotic spirit Of thu employers of
the country whether they made II posi-.
BILE for the younger men In their EN-
ploy 10 respond under favorable cendi-
uons or not. I. for one. do not doubt
the patriotic devotion either of our young
men or Of those who give them employ
msnt-~these for whose benefit and protee~
ton they would In fact enlist,
The program which will be Laid before
you by the secretary OF the navy IL sim
Harry conceived. IL involves only q
shorte.tag Of the time within which plans
long matured shall be- carried out: but ID
does make definite and explicit program
which has heretofore been only implicit.
held In tho minds Of the committees on
naval affairs and disclosed in the debates
Of the two houses but nowhere formu-
lated or formally adopted. 1t seems TO
me very clear that II win be to the adj
vantage of the country for the congress
TO adopt comprehensive plan for put
ting the navy upon a anal footing OF
strength and efficiency and to press that
plan to completion within the next Ave
years We have always looked to the
navy OF the country AZ eur first and chief
Ane Of defense we have always seen Il
TO be eur manifest course OF prudence
to be streng ON the seas. Year by year
we have been creating navy which now
ranks very high indeed among the aavies
OF the maritime nations. We should now
definitely determtns how we shall COM
plste what we have begun, and how soon.
Program for tho Navy.
The secretary OF the navy 10 asking
aiso for the Immediate addition 20 the
personnel OF the navy OF 1.5oe sailors.
2boo apprentice seamen. and Lsoo marines.
This increase would be- Sufficient to care
for the ships which are 60 be completed
within the fiscal year 1917 and also for
tho number OF men which must be put Ina
training 10 man the shlps which will be
completed early In 1918 IL Is also neees-
sary that the number OF midshpmen at
the naval academy at Annapolis should
be Increased by at least 500 In order that
the force of officers should be more rap
Idly added to. aud authority Is asked 20
appoint for engineering duties only. APP
proved graduates of engineering colleges.
and for service in the aviation corps a
certain number of naen taken from civil
lire,
IT this fsili program should be carried
cut We should have built or building In
1851. according to the estimates of snrstv~
al and standards of classification followed
by the general board of tho department,
an effective navy consisting OF II battle
ships of the FIRST line. ak battle cruisers.
IS hattlesaips OF the second line. ten ar
mored cruisers. n scout cruisers. fave
nrst-class cruisers. three secona~elass
cruisers, ten third~ciass cruisers, los do
trosers. IL feet submarines, tay coast sub
marines six monitors. 10 sanhoass. four
supply ships. IL fuel ships. four trans
ports. three tenders to torpedo vessels,
eight vessels OF special types. and two
ammunition ships. rhts would be navy
| lifted to our needs and worthy Of our
| traditions
Trade and shipping.
But armies and instruments OF war are
| only part OF what has TO DO considered
/ IL we ara 20 consider the supreme matter
/ az national self~satfieiency ana security
| In all It's aspects, There are other great
| matters which will he thrust upon eur at
/ teatton whether we will or not. There
1 Ia. fer example. very pressing question
| OF trade and shipping involved In this
| great problem of national adequacy. Ii
1 10 necessary for many weixhfy reasons of
/ national efficiency and deseiormens that