The Washington herald., 1915-12-08

into contempt"
the plans of the Department OF War for
more adequate national defense were
conceived which will be laid before you,
and which l urge you to sanction and
put into effect as soon as they can De
properly scrutinized and discussed. They
seem to me the essential first steps. and
they seem to me for the present SUI
ticient.
Standing Army 14I,s45.
They contemplate an increase OF the
standing force Of the regular army from
its present strength of SOS officers and
lO2a aS, enlisted men of all services To a
strength of 1,l36 officers and lI,IG en-
listed men. or 14l,Si3 all told. all serv-
ices. rank and file. by the addition of %
companies of engineers. ten regiments
of infantry four regiments of field ar
tillery, and four aero sauadrons. be-
sides 75O officers required for great
variety Of extra service. especially the all
important duty of training the citizen
force of which I shall presently speak,
49, noncommissioned officers for service
In drill. recruiting and the like and the
necessary quota of enlisted men for the
quarterma ster corps. the hospital corps,
the ordnance department, and other SINH
lar auxiliary services.
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 con-
templates supplementing the army by a
force Of 10000 disciplined citizens.
raised in increments of l2S,0oo a year
throughout a period OF three years. This
II Is proposed to do by process of en-
listment under which the serviceable
men OF the country would be asked to
bind themselves to serve with the colors
for the purpose Of training for short pc
RODS throughout three years. and TO
come to the colors at call at any time
three years.
Navy on Strong Footing.
II seems to me very clear that II will
be to the advantage Of the country for
the Congress to adopt a comprehensive
plan for putting 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 Of 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 ma
tions. We should now definitely deter
mine how We shall complete what we
have begun. and how soon.
The program to be laid before you
contepplates the construction within five
years of ten battleships. six battle
cruisers. ten scout cruisers. fifty de-
stroyers, fifteen fleet submarines, four
gunboats. one hospital ship. two ammuni-
tion ships. two fuel oil ships and one
repair ship.
The Secretary of the Navy Is asking
also for the immediate addition to the
personnel of the navy, of 1850 sailors
2,5O apprentice seamen. and 1900 ma
rines. This increase would be sufficient
TO care for the ships which are to be
completed within the fiscal year 1877
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 necessary that the
number Of midshipmen at the Naval
Academy at Annapolis should be in
creased by at least 3O0 in order that
the force of officers should be more
rapidly added to and authority Is asked
to appoint, for engineering duties only,
approved graduates of engineering COL
leges, and for service in the aviation
from civil life.
1t is necessary for many weighty rea-
sons of national efficiency and develop
ment that We should have a great mer-
chant marine. The great merchant
neet We once used to make us rich, that
great body Of sturdy sailors who used
to carry our flag into every sea, and
who were the pride and often the bull
wark Of the nation, We have almost
driven out of existence by enexcusable
neglect and indifference and by a hope
lessely blind and provincial policy Of SO.
called economic protection. 1t Is high
time We repaired our mistake and re-
sumed our commercial independence on
the seas.
Independence Of the Seas.
For It is a question of independence.
II other nations go to war or seek to
hamper each others commerce, our
merchants. 1t seems. are at their mercy,
to do with as they please. We must
use their ships, and use them as they
determine. We have not ships enough
of our own. We cannot handle our
own commerce on the seas. Our inde-
pendence is provincial. and IL only on
land and within our own borders. We
are not likely to be permitted to use
even the ships Of other nations In
rivalry Of their own trade, and are
without means to extend our commerce
even where the doors are wide open
and our goods desired. Such a situa-
ton is not to be endured. It Ia of
capital Importance not only that the
United States should be its own car
rter on the seas and enjoy the eco
nomic independence which only an ade-
quate merchant marine would give It.
but also that the American hemisphers
as whole should enjoy a like inde-
pendence and self-sunnciency.' II 1t In
not to be drawn into the tangle Of Eu-,
ropean affairs. Without such inde-
pepdence the whole question Of our