Gilpin observer., 1915-12-09

training they need to take care of them
selves and OF 1t. The military arm of their
government. which they will not allow to
direct them. they may properly use to
serve them and make their Independence
secure-and not their own Independence
merely but the rights also of those with
whom they have made common cause.
should they also be put In jeopardy.
They must be fitted to play the great
role in the world, and particularly In this
hemisphere. for which they are qualI--
fed by principle and by chastened ambi-
tion to play.
1t is with these ideals In mind that the
plans of the department Of war for more
adequate national defense were conceived
which will be laid before you. and which
1 urge you to sanction and put into ef.
feet as soon as they can be properly scru-
tinized and discussed. They seem to me
the essential first steps. and they seem
to me for the present sufncient.
They contemplate an increase of the
standing force Of tho regular army from
its present strength of 5.023 officers and
102. .9S5 enlisted men of all services to
strength of 7.136 officers and 1A.707 en-
listed men or l4l.s43. all told. all serv-
Ices. rank and file. by the addition Of b2
companies Of coast artillery. Is COM
panies of engineers. ten regiments Of in
fantry. four regiments of field artillery.
and four aero squadrons. besides 750 oni-
GERS required for great variety Of extra
service. especially the all-!mportant duty
Of training the citizen force of which !
shall presently speak. 792 non-commis-
stoned officers for service In drill, recruit
ing and the like. and the necessary quota
Of enlisted men for the Quartermaster
corps. the hospital corps. the ordnance
department and other similar auxiliary
services. These are the additions neces
sary to render the army adequate for its
present duties. duties which It has to
perform not only upon our own CONT
mental coasts and borders and at our in
terror army posts, but also in the Phil
ippines. in the Hawaiian islands. at the
isthmus. and in Porto Rico.
Force Of Trained Citizens.
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 contemplates
lsupplcmenting the army by a force of
400, COO disciplined citizens. raised In incre-
ments of $4,000 a year throughout pc
riod of three years This 1t Is proposed
to do by a process of enlistment under
which the serviceable men of the coun-
try would be asked to bind themselves to
serve with the colors for purposes of
training for short periods throughout
three years. and to come ts the colors
at call at any time throughout addi
uonal "furlough" period of three years.
This force OF 10000 men would be pro-
vided with personal accoutrements as fast
field made ready to be supplied at any
time. They would be assembled for train
| ing at stated intervals at convenient
places in association with suitable units
| OF the regular army. Their period of
annual training would not necessarily ex-
| coed two months in the year.
1t would depend upon the patriotic feel
| ing of the younger men OF the country
| whether they responded to such call
to service or not 1t would depend upon
| the patriotic spirit of the employers of
| the country whether they made 1t possi-
| BILE for the younger men in their en-
ploy to respond under favorable condi-
| tions or not. /. for one. 90 not doubt
| the patriotic devotion either of our young
| men or of those who give them employ
ment-those for whose benefit and protec-
| tion they would in fact enlist.
The program which will be laid before
| you by the secretary of the navy is sim
| ilarly conceived. II involves only a
| shortening of the time within which plans
| long matured shall be carried out: but 1t
| does make definite and explicit a program
| which has heretofore been only implicit.
| held In the minds of the committees on
| naval affairs and disclosed in the debates
| of the Two houses but nowhere formu-
| lated or formally adopted. 1t seems to
me very clear that II will be to the ad-
| vantage OF the country for the congress
| to adopt comprehensive plan for put
| ting the navy upon 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 II
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 nations. We should now
| definitely determine how We shall COM
plete what we have begun. and how soon.
Program for the Navy.
The secretary OF the navy is asking
also for the immediate addition to the
| personnel of the navy of 1880 sailors
| 2.500 apprentice seamen and l.5C0 marines
| This increase would be sufficient to care
| for the ships which to be completed
within the fiscal year 1917 and also for
| the number OF men which must be put in
| training to man tile ships which will be
completed early In 1918. II is also neces-
| sary that the number Of midshipmen al
the naval academy at Annapolis should
be increased by at least 300 in order tina,
the force OF officers should be more rap
idly added to; and authority Is asked to
| appoint for engineering duties only. ap-
| proved graduates OF engineering colleges
and for service in the aviation corps a
| certain number of men taken from civil
life.
| II this fun program should be carried
| out we should have built or building In
1921. according to the estimates of surviv-
| al and standards OF classification followed
by the general board of the department
| an effective navy consisting of q battle
ships of the first line, six battle cruisers
25 battleships of the second line. ten ar
mored cruisers, 10 scout cruisers. Ave
| first-class cruisers three second-class
| cruisers. ten third-class cruisers, los de
troyers. IS fleet submarines. 157 coast sub
| marines. six monitors. 20 gunboats. four
| supply ships 10 fuel ships. four trans
| ports. three tenders to torpedo vessels
eight vessels of special types. and two
| ammunition ships. This would be navy
fitted to our needs and worthy OF our
| traditions.
Trade and Shipping.
But armies and instruments of war are
only part of what has to be considered
| II we are to consider the supreme matter
of national self-sufficiency and security
| in all Its aspects. There are other great
matters which will be thrust ubon our at