Askov American., 1915-12-09

training they need to take caro- OF them
selves and Of It. 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 quail
fed by principle and By chastened ambi-
tion TO play.
II IL 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
j urge you to sanction and put into ef.
fect AZ soon 40 they can be properly scru"
tinixcd and discussed. They seem to me
the essential hrst steps. and they seem
to me for ths present sufiieient.
They contemplate an increase of the
standing force OF tho regular army from
its present strength OF 6,023 officers and
i02.s1 enlisted men OF all services to
strength OF 7,13s officers and 134,707 en-
listed men, or Hi.s43 all told, all serv-
icss rank and fle, by the addition of Sc
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 ali-'mportant duty
OF training the citizen force OF which
shall presently speak, 792 non-comnis-
stoned officers for service in drill recruit
Ing and the Eke, and the necessary quota
OF enlisted men for the anartermaster
corps, the hospital corps. the ordnance
department and other similar auxiliary
services. These are the additions reces.
sary to render the army adequate for Its
present duties. duties which II 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 q larger scale. should
occasion arise. the plan also contempiates
experimenting the army by q force OF
COCO disciplined citizens, raised In incre~
ments OF 1a3.ooo year throughout Pc
riod OF three years. This II 10 proposed
TO do by a process Of enlistment under
which the seryiceabic men OF the coun-
try would be asked to bind themselves to
serve with the coiors for purposes Of
training for short periods throughout
three years, and to come to the colors
at call at any time throughout an addi-
tionai "furiough" period of three years
This force OF 1000 men would be pro-
yided with personal accoutrements az fast
as enlisted and their equipment for the
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-
ceed two months In the year.
ttu tyia ft~ "a
Ing Of the younger men OF the country
whether they responded to such call
to service or not. Ii would DEPEND upon
the patriotic spirit OF the employers of
the country whether they made II possi-
BILE for the younger men In their em.
picy 10 respond under favorable condi-
tons or not. I. for one. do 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
iiarly conceived. It involves only a
shortccing OF the time within which plans
long matured shall be carried out: but II
does make definite and explicit q 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 tho ad-
vantage or 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 Ave
years. We have always looked to the
navy OF the country an our first and chief
line OF defense: we have always seen II
to b. our manifest course OF prudence
to be strong on tho seas Year by year
we have been creating 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 tho navy 10 asking
also for the immediate addition to the
personnel OF the navy Of 1900 sailors
$500 apprentice seamen. and 500 marines
This increase would be sufflcient to care
for the ships which are to be completed
within the fiscal year 1917 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 In also neces-
sary that the number of midshipmen at
tho naval academy at Annapolis should
be Increased by at least 800 In order that
the force OF officers should be more rap
Idly added to, and authority Ia asked to
appoint for engineering duties only. APP
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 aurviv-
al and standards OF classification followed
by the general board OF the department.
an effective navy consisting OF II battle
ships of the first line, six battle cruisers,
Is battleshtps of the second line. ten ar
mored cruisers. IL scout cruisers. Ave
nrst-ciass cruisers, three second-ciass
cruisers. ten third~ciass cruisers, los de-
troycrs, 10 feet submarines. ieT coast sub
marines. six monitors, 20 gunhoats. four
supply ships. IL fuel ships, four trans
ports three tenders to torpedo vessels.
eight vessels OF special types. and two
ammunition ships. This would be navy
ntted 10 cur needs and worthy Of our
traditions.
Trade and Shipping.
Hut armies and Instruments OF war are
only part OF what has to be considered
| III We are to consider the supreme matter
Of national self .suffsciency ana security
| In al its aspects There are ether great
| matters which will be thrust upon our at
| tenticn whether we win or not. There
| Ii, for example, q very pressing question
| OF trade and shipping involved In this
| great problem OF national adequacy. II
4 Ii necessary for many weixhty reasons os
4 nu ttrnui afy4ssienav nnA 1AyNlcnrpapf hat