The Washington times., 1915-01-04
GARDNER SCOFFS At
STRENGTH OF ARMY
Declares United States Would
Be at the Mercy Of Any In.
vading Nation.
Continued from First Page.)

the alleged unsatisfactory condition or
the army.
Could About Garrison Paris.
In q prepared statement read to the
Military Affairs Committee. Mr.. Gard
ner said
There are 29.405 regular United
States soldiers available for a field
army, according to Secretary of War
Garrison. Ir oil Of them were or
dered into trenches they could man a
single line about fourteen miles long.
| There are 119.3S7 militiamen, or mo-
tiopal suardsInen. in the United
States. and there are just IS men in
the United States reserve. In other
words. until a new army could be or
ganiyed, drilled and equipped we have
just 14S,50S men to summon to take
the field. II every one of them an
swers the summons they can man a
single line Of trenches about sixty
five miles long, Just about two-thirds
the circumference Of Greater New
York. BY the way. .,,..
lars. and all. would just about sarri.
son Paris.
Rut can. our militia all be counted
on to stem the first onslaught Of in
vasion?. Has history shown us any
fore militia Is to he relied upon. it
must go through an arduous training
In camp of Instruction.? WIN even
the best friend OF the militia or ma
calm that !: Is tcday in healthy
How can any one make such a claim
The chief Of stan tells us that In tn
$4,000 failed to present themselves for
the annual inspection, $1,000 absented
themselves from the annual ercamp-
ment and 1900 never appeared on the
other.
Our Field Equipment.
Tho Russian army in a single battl
Of the Japanese war had 1,2o4 field guns
engaged. Japan had s22 guns extend
Bill hearing. December ., 1879.
We have in our possession only 6.
completed modern field guns and how
itzers altogether. Letter from Secre
Dec. %, 1910.
That is to say. we own q little over
half the guns which Russia had si,t at the NJ,
battle Of Mukden; Yet sn,;n.or any ordinary @ry
makes the battle Of Mukden look like
a peace conference.
General Wotherspoon, chief of staff
Of the United States army. tells us
in his recent report that European
armies average more than field guns
for each 1000 men: SO our 634 guns
would only equip a modest little army
Of $1,000. TO be sure we have ap-
p"o2r.ated for 226 more guns. but they
are not ready.
In tho testimony before the FORTH
cations Committee in 1918 it appeared
that Russia has 5000 field guns.
France 1900 and Germany about 5000.
1t Will take US quite while to raise
Aop n
information given us by the War De-
partment is correct. Last session
General Wood testified that the entire
ca pacity of this country working
night and day is 800 guns in year.
Short on Ammunition.
After all, what good would the guns
be without ammunition? The Secretary
! of War expects US to have 5000 rounds
Of artillery ammunition ready by July
!, I hope he Is right! 1t is worth re-
! membering that in single battle OF
| the japanese war Russia shot away
nearly half that amount. General Wood
day is o fair expenditure for a gun
| under battle conditions. so you see that
| our tSi guns can next July be provided
with Just about four days ammunition
| apiece If Secretary Garrison's hopes are
| fulfilled.
Last Year the ordnance department
| estimated tina, the Government arsenais
running night and day with three shifts
can turn out LOO rounds OF artillery
! eight field guns can shoot away am
| munition just as fast as Uncle Sam can
! make II. Private manufacturers can
not help the situation for three or
rour months after they get their orders.
Listen to this sentence from the gen
erals evidence: THE best estimates in
dicate that at the end Of the first six
! months not to exceed ]50.OOO rounds
Guiding the Government plant" Think
OF that-3o0.DO rounds 10 be made In
| half year! Why. Russia shot away
900 rounds in the nine dayg' battle Of
Mukden alone.
; What Chief of STAFF Wrote.
Some weeks ago Majo- General
Wotherspoon, chief of stan of the
! United States army, wrote to the Sec
retary of War informing him that for
the full equipment Of an army of 500, ,Ool
! men in case Of war. we are short 100,
6OO.OoO rounds of rife ammunition and
: !l.0oC.oo0 rounds of artillery ammuni-
tion. or course, you gentlemen. with
Your ideas. will laugh to scorn the idea
, that we might possibly need 100000 men
in case of war. That is because YOU
will not listen to unpalatablc evidence
That is because YOU Shun rcal in
uuiry. Mr.. Chairman Hay, asked you
: to summon General Wothcrspoon;
asked YOU to summon General Wood
, and You fatty refused bctn requests
/ Yet President Wilson intimates that
| this committee can be trusted 10 make
an adequate investigation and an ado
quatc report. How nave Eol investi-
| gated? What have You doro, | should
! like to know" Why. You summoned
General CroHier. who has been CHIEF OF
, the ordnance department for thirtcci
years, and you extracted from him thu
, admission that his own work was mos
| commendah'c
Avoided Right Questions.
1t is true that you put to him rcv
questions as to his recommendations 70
artillery and ammunition but you didn'
put the right questions. You did no
drive home the questions which [ woul,
hevc driven home IL ] had not bccl
muzElcd. Why didn't YOU follow up tn
question OF heavy field guns when No
had General Crozier on the stand? VIII
didn't you ask him to point out v H.
Germany uses 1l-,nch guns to bate
covered trenches. ir 3-inch guns to sea;
ter shrapnel are all that Is needed. Yo
know. Mr.. Chairman. that the big ges