Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-18
ARMY OF 100000
AND GREAT NAVY
URGED BY LEAGUE
National Defense Organi-
zation Presents Plans.
Approved by Experts
EQUIPMENT FOR 100000
Recommend 100000 Regulars
and 100000 Militiamen in
Standing Force

Definite pans suggested Tor the
ADEQUATE defense of the United States and
approved by military experts are brought
10 the attention OF Philadelphlans today
by members OF the special committee of
the National Defense League, recently
appointed to confer with the War Depart
ment on vital questions of national
eecurlty. The plans are announced by
Brigadier General ]. Campbell Gilmore,
for many years student of military
matters and the rorganizer of the
National Guard after the Spanish
American war.
The plans are comprehensive and cover
virtually all the vital needs of the
nation. They have been presented to
President Wilson by the Boards of the
Navy and Army and are the latest sug-
gestions for national defense prepara-
tons.
It Is planned to increase the regular
army and militia to about 10000 This
will include regular army of APP
proximately 100000 officers and men and
a militia of 10000 officers and men The
militia under the new plans will be placed
entirely under the direction of the Gem
eral Staff of the War Department. The
plan for the formation of the nucleus Of
sport-term enlistments and special en-
couragement offered to young men of
education to take up the study of military
practice with a view to obtaining COM
missions in the first volunteer army
organized in time of need.
With the plans for the army it is also
expected that Congress will be asked to
provide equipment for an army of 1,0OOOOO
men. This equipment will not be pur-
n a htIt pbog will
be distributed over number of years.
ORDNANCE PURCHASES.
Ordnance plans for the theoretical army
expected to be provided for at the next
session of Congress include:
Five rifles for every man expected to be
put into action.
Twelve machine guns for every 1000 i'm
fantryman and cavalryman in action.
This will necessitate an increase of about
800 per cent. to the present regulations.
Six field guns and howitZers for every
1000 infantrymen and cavalrymen. This Is
an increase of nearly 100 per cent.
Increases of nearly 500 per cent. in the
amount of ammunition per gun to be
stored and ready for use.
The plans adopted for the improvement
Of the coast defenses of this country in
clude:
Increasing the elevation of Pinch coast
defense guns by five degrees above the
horizontal, giving them range, with
slightly lighter projectile, of about 10000
yards and placing them on equal footing
or better with the largest naval guns now
carried
Ernpiacement at New York harbor and
elsewhere of about three 16-nch coast de-
fense suns to make impossible the firing
at long ranges over our fortifcations into
the cities There is only one 16-inch gun
mounted today. 1t Is at Panama
Construction of a fort at the mouth of
the Chesapeake Bay to cover the passage
between Cape Henry and Cape Charles.
Increase of 10000 officers and men for
the coast defense breanch of the army to
make up for existing shortage.
Immediate increase of coast defense am
munition.
MUCH LARGER NAVY.
The program for the navy is more am
bilious, but II is asserted that IL Is highly
necessary. 1t includes:
The construction of at least four super
dreadnoughts and probably two battle
cruisers of the type of the Queen Eliza
beth, of the British navy. At the begin
ming of this year the navy of the United
States was 10 first-line ships behind the
number required by the policy laid down
by the Navy General Board of 1913
The construction of a large number of
destroyers The navy on the present
basis of big ships. building and built, was
~ destrOyers short of the complement de-
termined upon by the General Board of
four destroyers to each battleship. The
navy has 40 battleships of all descriptions
and only 6S destroyers.
The construction of upwards of 100 sub
marines, a complement of so for each
coast
The construction at the aeronautical
base at Pensacola Fla, of a plant for
the construction of hydroaeroplanes.
Increase of enlistment authorizations |
to bring the enlisted personnel up to full |
strength for all ships built and building |
which might be utilized in time of war. |
This would necessitate an increase of |
about 5000 men.
Enlargement of the capacity of the |
Naval Academy, at Annapolis. with a
view to overcoming the shortage OF 900 |
officers, on the basis of ships built and |
building, to say nothing OF increases
needed through the extension of aeronau-
teal and submersible branches.
Authorization for the expenditure of
a large lump sum- at the direction of the
secretary of the Navy with a view OF
taking advantage of improvements and
desirable innovations Immediately upon
their discovery.
Legislation giving the Board Of Civ |,
Han Inventors. which Secretary Daniels 1
recently created, status before the law
II was said by Brigadier General Gill
more that these needed changes, If adopt
sd' would insure the safety OF the country
event of foreign aggression. As time
goes on, he said. there will be an eXpan-
SION or these plans. and ii common-sense
prevail, there will be adequate protection
eHoFded this country against all enemies