The Raymer enterprise., 1915-12-09
tage because Of the ECONOMIC readlust.

ments which the world must inevi.
tably witness within the next genera.
ton. when peace shall have at last re-
sumed its healthful tasks In the per
formance OF these tasks believe the
Americas to be destined to play their
parts together am interested to fix
your attention on this prospect now
because unless you take it within your
view and permit the full significance
OF II TO command your thought can.
not find the right light In which TO set
forth the particular matter that Les
at the very front OF my whole thought
az ! address you today. mean ma.
tional defense.
No one who really comprehends the
spirit OF the great people for whom
we are appointed to speak can fail to
perceive that their passion Is for
peace. their genius best displayed In
the practice Of the arts of peace. Great
| democraeies are not belligerent They
do not seek or desire war. Their
thought Is OF Individual liberty and Of
the free labor that supports life and
the uncensored thought that qnicEens
IL. Conquest and dominion are not In
our reckoning, or agreeable TO our
principles But just because we de-
mand unmolested development and
the undisturhed government OF our
own lives upon our own principles OF
right and liberty. we resent. from
whatever quarter 1t may come, the az.
gFession we ourselves will not prae-
tice, We insist upon security In prose-
cutting our self-chosen lines of nation
al development. We do more than that.
We demand II also for others
Question Of Preparedness.
Out Of such thoughts grow all our
policies. We regard war merely az
means Of asserting the rights Of peo.
pie against aggression. And We are
as fercely jealous of coei live ~ die,
tatorial power within o.. own nation
as OF aggression from without. We
will not maintain a standing army ex.
eept for uses whi ! are as necessary
| In times OF peace as In times OF war,
and we shall always see to II that our
military peace establishment is no
larger than is actually and eontinu-
ously needed for the uses OF DAYS in
which no enemies move against us
But we do believe In a body Of free
| citizens ready and sufficient to take
care Of themselves and Of the govern.
ments which they have set up 10 serve
them.
But war has never been mere mat,
ter OF men and guns. Ii IL a thing Of
disciplined might II our citizens are
ever to fight effectively upon sudden
summons, they must know how mod
ern lighting Is done, and what 10 do
when the summons comes to render
themselves Immediately available and
Immediately effective. And the gov.
ernment must be their servant In this
matter, must supply them with the
training they need to take care Of
themselves and OF H.
II is with these ideals in mind that
the plans Of the department of war
for more adequate national defense
were conceived which VIII be laid be-
fore you. and which | urge you TO
and rff fYf
as they can be properly scrntnize1
and discussed, They seem to me the
essential first steps and they seem
to me for the present sufficient
Larger Army Plan.
They contemplate an increase OF the
standing force of the regular army
from its present strength OF h,a23
officers and l02,gs5 enlisted men of
all services to strength of 7,iaG
officers and l3i.7O7 enlisted men.
or l41,s43, all told, all services,
rank and file. by the addition
Of htty-two companies of coast
artillery, fifteen companies Of engi
neers, ten regiments of infantry four
regiments of field artillery, and four
aero squadrOns, besides $50 officers
required for a great variety of extra
service, especially the all important
duty of training the citizen force Of
which ! shall presently speak. 7g2
noncommissioned officers for seFy-
ice In drill, recruiting and the
like. and the necessary quota Of en-
listed men for the quartermaster
corps, the hospital corps, the ord
nance department. and other similar
auxiliary services. These are the ad-
ditions necessary to render the army
adequate for its present duties. duties
which II has TO perform not only upon
our own continental coasts and hor-
ders and at our interior army posts,
but also in the Philippines, in the
Hawaiian islands, at the Isthmus. and
in Porto Rico.
BY way of making the country ready
to assert some part of its real power
promptly and upon larger scale.
should occasion arise, the plan also
contemplates supplementing the army
by force Of 100000 disciplined citi.
zens. raised in increments of 1885,.
600 year throughout period
of three years. This 1t is proposed
to do by process OF enlistment un-
der which The seryiceahl mnn Of the