Evening journal., 1915-10-13
SAYS
CONGRESSMAN To
rochester MEN
Thomas w. Miller Addresses
Chamber of Commerce
on Greater Military
PATRIOTISM, NOT
HYSTERIA. He URGES
srecial 70 THE EvENING JoURNAL

Special 10 THE EVENING JOURNAL
ROCHESTER. n. ", Oct. ls-Con.
gresham Thomas w. Miller at noon to.
day addressed the Chamber of Com.
merce, by invitation, upon the subject
Of national defense and military pre-
paredness. He was the only congress
man who participated in the business
mems training camp at Plattshurg. n.
y. and his addresses on the subject of
military preparedness for defensive pur.
poses since then prompted the Chamber
OF Commerce and the National Security
League to invite the Delaware represen-
tative 10 speak here TODAY before a
large and representative gathering Of
Rochester residents In the course Of
his speech Congressman Miller said
"The army Of the United States at
the present time consists in round num-
hers of ninety Thousand officers and
men. In this number are included every
branch Of the service Over thirty per-
cent. or one third Of our army, ia sta
toned in our outlying possessions. but
they cannot be considerd for the de-
fence of the country. due TO the fact
that in time Of trouble these outlying
forces would have TO be added to con-
siderably rather than looked 10 for sup
port. In this country today, therefore.
we have in round numbers about fifty
thousand troops some twenty thousand
Of which are included In the coast artil-
| lerv corps. these twenty thousand
cannot be considered as a mobile force
| for the obvious reason that they must
| remain at the coast fortihcations which
they are stationed.
"Of the thirty thousand troops with
in the borders OF the United States,
which can be considered as a mobile
force. we have today over one-half
! of our infantry. cavalry and field
( artillery regiments on the Mexican
4 border stationed from the Gulf ol
Q Mexico TO the Gulf of California
o These troops are necessary on fhl
e border in order to keep order and
n protect our citizens from guerilla
z bands in time Of peace. One car
v readily imagine what would be need
ed even with regard to Mexico ir
l. time Of trouble. Before leaving these
4 details let me call 10 your attention
g. some astounding facts with regard
. to the artillery situation in our army,
. and particularly as IL refers to the
United States proper.
THE six thousand miles Of coast
line and In addition our outlying pos
sessions contain so many strategic
harbors and landing places for a
possible foe that IL is necessary to
have a large number of coast forti-
fcations. which are manned by the
coast artillery corps. II Is impos-
sible to state with exactness. IN de-
tail, every post that is under-manned.
but IL is safe TO say that over one
half Of these coast artillery posts are
not only under-manned, but many Of
them have not a sufficient force on
hand to any more than keep the big
guns and equipment in shape. In
viewing these facts concerning the
coast artillery IL should not be for.
gotten that soldiers for this corps
cannot be trained from raw recruits
/ within a short time
The field artillery situation Is no
: any more encouraging In the Who'll
= army we have only six regiments Q
= field artillery. six batteries to a regi
- ment. four guns to a battery, or on
= hundred and forty-four guns in al
10 Two of these regiments are outsid
OF the United States and only on
regiment has guns of a siege caiibr'
that is. over three inches In IN
!. stretch of territory between Main
Continued on Page Nine