Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1915-12-11

direct them, they may properly use TO
serve them and make their independence
secure-and not their own independence
merely but the rights also Of those with
whom they have made common cause.
should they also be put In jeopardy.
They must ba fitted to play the great
role in the world, and particularly In this
hemisphere for which they are quail
fed by principle and by chastened ambi-
ton to play.
1t Is with these ideals in mind that the
plans of the 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 as soon as they can be properly scra-
tinized and discussed. They seem to me
the essential first steps. and they seem
to me for the present sufficient.
They contemplate an Increase OF the
standing force of the regular army from
its present strength OF 5023 officers and
l02 9S5 enlisted men Of all services to
strength Of f136 officers and ,70 en-
listed men. or l4l S43 all told, all serv-
ices rank and file. by the addition of 81
companies of coast artillery, Is com
panies of engineers. ten regiments Of In
fantry, four regiments of field artillery,
and four aero squadrOns, besides $50 onl-
GERS required for great variety Of extra
service especially the aI-'mportant duty
Of training The citizen force Of which I
shall presently speak. 1872 non-commis-
stoned officers for service In drill, recruit
ing and the like, and the necessary quota
Of enlisted men for the quartermaster
corps. the hospital corps. the ordnance
department and other similar auxiliary
services These are the additions neces-
sary to render the army adequate for it's
present duties, duties which 1t 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
lppines. ia the Hawaiian Islands, at the
Isthmus and in Porto Rico.
Force of Trained Citizens.
by way OF making the country ready
to assert some part Of its real power
promptly and upon a larger scale, should
occasion arise the plan also contemplates
experimenting the army by a force Of
go 0O0 disciplined citizens. raised in lncre-
ments of $4,000 a year throughout a pc
Rod OF three years This IL Is proposed
10 do by a process OF enlistment under
which the serviceable men Of the coun-
try would be asked to bind themselves to
serve with the colors for purposes Of
training for short periods throughout
three years, and to come to the colors
at call at any time throughout an addi-
tional "furlough" period OF three years.
This force OF 10000 men would be pro-
vlded with personal accoutrements as fast
as enlisted and their equipment for the
field made ready TO be supplied at any
...ne 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 I'm the year
1t would depend upon the patriotic feel
| ing Of the younger men or the country
| whether they responded to such a call
70, L nd
| the patriotic spirit of the employers of
the country whether they made It posi-
| BILE for the younger men I'm their EN-
| ploy to respond under favorable condi-
| lions or not. /, for one. 60 not doubt
| the patriotic devotion either OF our young
men or Of those who give them employ
| ment-those for whose benefit and protec-
| ton they would in fact enlist.
The program which viii be laid before
! YOU by the secretary OF the navy is sim
| Harry conceived. It involves only a
! shortening Of the time within which plans
| long matured shall be carried out; but II
! does make definite and explicit a program
| which has heretofore been only implicit,
4 held In the minds OF the committees on
naval affairs and disclosed in the debates
| OF the two houses but nowhere formu-
| lated or formally adopted II seems to
me very clear that II will be to the ad-
vantage of the country for the congress
| to adopt a comprehensive plan for put
| ting the navy upon a final footing OF
| strength and efficiency and to press that
| plan to completion within the next five
| years. We have always looked to the
navy or the country as our first and chief
| line of defense; we have always seen 1t
| TO be our manifest course of prudence
| TO be strong on the seas. Year by year
we have been creating a navy which now
ranks very high indeed among the navies
OF the maritime nations. We should now
| definitely determine how We shall com
plete what we have begun. and how soon.
Program for the Navy.
The secretary of the navy is asking
also for the immediate addition to the
! personnel Of the navy OF 1900 sailors,
| 1850 apprentice seamen. and 1900 marines.
! This increase would be sufficient to care
for the ships which are to be completed
within the fiscal year 1917 and also for
the number OF men which must be put in
training to man the ships which will be
completed early in 1918 1t Is also neces-
| sary that the number OF midshipmen at
! the naval academy at Annapolis should
! be increased by at least 800 In order that
| the force OF officers should be more rap
| idly added to; and authority is asked TO
| appoint for engineering duties only. APP
| proved graduates OF engineering colleges
and for service in the aviation corps a
| certain number of men taken from civil
life
II this fun program should be carried
| out we should have built or building In
1921 according to the estimates of survlv-
! al and standards OF classification followed
| by the general board of the department
! AN effective navy consisting of n battle
| ships of the first line, six battle cruisers
| Is hattleships Of the second line, ten ar
mored cruisers. Is scout cruisers. five
I first class CFuiSprg three second class