South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-12-07

the plans Of the department Of war for
more adequate national defense were
conceived which VIII be laid before
you. and which ! urge you TO sanction
and put into effect as soon as they can
be properly scrutinized and discussed.
They seem TO me the essential first
steps, and they seem TO me for the
present sufficient
They contemplate an increase Of the
standing force Of the regular army
from its present strength of 5,023 Off
GERS and 1O2, $50 enlisted men Of all
services TO a strength OF T,136 officers
and 134.707 enlisted men. or 141 ,S43
all told, all services, rank and file. by
the addition Of fifty-two companies OF
coast artillery. fifteen companies Of en-
gineers. ten regiments OF infantry, four
regiments OF field artillery and four
aero squadrons, besides $50 officers re-
quired for a great variety Of extra
service, especially the all important
duty of training the citizen force OF
which / shall presently speak, 792 non.
commissioned officers for service in
drill recruiting 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 necessary TO render
the army adequate for its present du-
ties, duties which it has TO perform
not only upon our own continental
coasts and borders and at our interior
army posts, but also in the Philippines,
I'm the Hawaiian Islands, at the 18TH
mus and in Porto Rico.
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 supplementing the army
by force of 100000 disciplined citi-
Zens, raised in increments Of $4,000
year throughout a period Of three
years. This it is proposed 70 do by
process Of enlistment under which the
serviceable men of the country would
be asked 10 bind themselves to serve
with the colors for purposes Of train
ing for short periods throughout three
years and TO come TO the cOlors at call
at any time throughout N additional
"furlough" period Of three years. This
force of 100000 men would be pro-
vided with personal accouterments as
fast as enlisted and their equipment
for the field made ready TO be supplied
at any time. They would be assem-
bled for training at stated intervals at
convenient places in association with
suitable units of the regular army.
Their period of annual training would
not necessarily exceed two months in
the year.
1t would depend upon the patriotic
feeling Of the younger men Of the
country whether they responded to
such a call TO service or not 1t
would depend upon the patriotic spirit
Of the employers Of the country wheth-
er they made It possible for the young
er men in their employ to respond un-
der favorable conditions or not. / for
one do not doubt the patriotic devotion
either Of our young men or OF those
who give them emplOyment-thOse for
whose benefit and protection they
would in fact enlist 1 would look
forward to the success Of such an ex-
pertinent with entire confidence.
At least so much by way of prepara-
ton for defense seems TO me to be abb
solutely imperative now. We cannot
do less