The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-08-04
TO IMPROVE Army
PLAN FOR GREATER POWER.
AND HIGH EFFICIENCY
What The EXPERTS SAY

Secretary Garrison Tells of His Aims
in Regard to the Nature of the
Army-Many improvements Must
be Made to Bring it up to Other
Fighting Forces.
The needs of army are numerous
and difficult of fulfillment, particu-
larly insofar as personnel is concern
ed Under the head of personnel are
included:
Cd Increases and changes for the
regular or standing army and the
militia.
| ~ The creation of nucleus, in
officers and men with knowledge
Of the rudiments of military practice,
of a second line army which could be
whipped into shape for field action
with minimum of delay.
CD Legislation creating system
of military training, as an ultimate
result of which the United States in
time of peril could summon to the
colors citizen army trained in ad-
vance, both as to officers and men
for almost immediate field duty.
| To meet all these problems Secre-
tary Garrison, the General Staff and
the Army War College have been
working together for months. The
third problem enumerated is by fa1
the most difficult, as, whatever plan
is determined upon,- it is certain to
meet with the cry of "militarism'
and opposition from the opponents OF
armamerts in congress and through
out the country.
Whatever plan is determined upon
will require the fullest measure OF
support from the president. That
Secretary Garrison and his advisers
have virtually worked out this plan
is known, and that it embodies many
of the features of the Swiss and Aus
tralian military training system also
is pretty generally believed.
The Swiss system of compulsory
training affects every male citizen OF
the country, but is so distributed be-
tween the ages of twelve and forty
years as not to interfere in the least
| with the business or professional ca
reers of the citizens. The Australian
system in it's general aspects is al
| most identical with the Swiss.
| In planning to increase the regular
army and militia, figure has been
set at about the 100000 mark, in
cluding a regular army of approx
mately 100000 officers and men and
a "federalized" militia Of 100000 Of
fcers and men. To increase the en-
| listed strength of the regular army
enlistments requiring only one years
service with the colors and probably
two years in reserve will be recon-
lmended, both with view to making 6
the regular army training school
for mature citizens and in the hope
that the short term demanded with
the colors will stimulate recruiting.
To increase the commissioned per-
sonnel Of the regular army, congress
| will be urged to double the output Of
trained officers from West Point and
| possibly to establish a second mill
tary academy near the Pacific coast.
| C";cers are .ee.,ed to direct the oper-
ations of the theoretical first defen-
| sive army, to bring existing militia
organizations into we'll rounded and
efficient form, TO encourage and train
| military organizations in private
schools. colleges and universities,
and to be at hand in time Of peril TO
whip new armies into shapa, schocl
and train additi >ual officers, and fill
up the. gaps in the commissioned per-
sonnel made by actual fighting.
The "federalizin2"> Of the militia
will involve its being placed ensireiy
under the direction of the General
Staff Of the Wac Department. which
will establish the requirements Tor
membership, dictate the form which
the organization of each State shall
take-the number of infantry. artIl-
lery, cavalry, ETC., which the enlisted
shall be divided into-and arrange
ments for more satisfactory fed MA
noeuvres, officers, schools, etc.
The other point enumerated Gre
alton of nucleus in officers and mel
for volunteer army which could be
pat quickly into the field in time Of
emergency-is to be met in part by
the short-term enlistments and part
by special encouragementS offered
young men of education md intelli-
gence to take up the study ot Mill
tary practice, attend summer camps
for practical ;nslrucicE I'll with 4
view to obtaining commissions in the
first volunteer army organized.
This plan has been worked out sue
cessfully on small scale through
student camps, which Secretary Gar
rison has caused to De established in
the last three years. Four OF these
were in operation last year, four are
planned for this summer an1 the
hope is to increase this number very
materially in the future.
In this connection Senator Clam
berlain's bill for the creation Of an
officers reserve corps will be pushed,
probably with an amendment which
will offer graduates from these camps
commissions as Second Lieutenants
in the regular army or in their state
organizations.
Authorization for the purchase of
equipment for an army OF 1,OO9OOO
men will be asked, not that all the
equipment will be purchased imme-.
diately, but that congress should au-
thorize a definite policy looking to
the acquisition of this equipment at
the earliest possible date.
Ordnance plans for a theoretical
army include:
/. Five rifles for every man eX-
pected to be put into action.
2. Twelve machine guns for
every 1000 of infantrymen and
cavalrymen in action, an increase
of nearly 1 to | brought about by