The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-29
GREAT BRITAIN'S EFFORTS TOCARRY
 ON WAR WITHOUT
 DRAFTS IS WATCHED
(Continued from Page one)

CTS of the plan to put the continental army project into effect include the divi- sion of the country into military divi- sions corresponding generally to the pres- ent congressional districts Each mili- tary district would be called upon for 333 recruits annually. In the event that com pulsory service were decided upon. it is stated, the only action necessary would be to authorize the war department in any year when the quota of recruits from any district has not been made up vol untarily by predetermined date, to draft the necessary men for that purpose from the portion of the population of the dis trct liable for military service.
 IN SIX YEARS
 Advocates of the administration plan say that the 100000 men with the colors and 100000 reserves proposed to be pro- duced within six years will not constitute force adequate to the needs of the na- tion, and they do not contend that the proposed two months of intensive training a year for three years is sufficient to make a soldier. As matter of fact, they do not believe it will be possible to secure more than 30 days training an- nually under purely volunteer system.
 It is an open secret that the plan is regarded by it's framers in it's present form as more of a preparatory measure than anything else, paving the way to decision by the people at large for uni versal service and establishing immedi- ately the correct fundamental principles that must underlie any proper military system. That conclusion must be reached, these officials insist. by any process of reasoning based upon facts, and they look to the men who will enter the con tinental army, whether they come by the tens or hundreds of thousands in the first few years, to carry home a prac- tical view of the countrys military prob lems
 CONSULTED OFFICERS
 In determining upon his plan Secretary Garrison is known to have consulted every general officer of the active army and many on the retired list. In addition he received hundreds of opinions from of- ficers of lower rank, and for months conferred early and late with tho of ficers and officials immediately about him in the war department.
 Efforts of the department officials first will be directed toward convincing Con- gress that the urgent thing is to get the machinery for citizen army created, the arms. ammunition and supplies necessary piled up, mobilization points selected and equipped, coast defenses extended and improved-in word. the foundations laid upon which such features as universal military service, extension of the gen eral staff irea of scientific control and the amount of training necessary for the continental troops may be supermposed later. To attempt to do all of this now, they fear. would send the whole plan top bling of its own weight and nothing would be accomplished.
 There is no difference except in the numbers of men and amount of training it is asserted. between the secretary's proposals and those of the war college division of the general staff. the result being that all authorities are agreed upon the fundamental soundness of the idea of the continental army scheme, which embodies the central idea of placing the national defense in the hands of the na- tion instead of the control of AS state gov ernments.