The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1915-12-10
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS IS THEME
Of PRESIDENT WILSON'S MESSAGE
Regular Army of 141843 Supplemented by Force of 100000
Trained Citizens Urged-Gravest Menace to the Peace
of the Country Comes from DisIoya ForeignBon
Citizens-Plan for Larger Navy Outlined.

I it's present strength of 5,o2s officers an,
l02, 1856 enlisted men of all services to
strength of 7,136 officers and 1874 7o7 en-
listed men, or 141, S43, all told, all serv
ices, rank and file, by the addition of s.
companies of coast artillery. Is com
panies of engineers, ten regiments of in
fantry, four regiments of field artillery
and four aero squadrons, besides $50 off
GERS required for great variety of extra
service especially the all-important duty
of training the citizen force of which ]
shall presently speak, 1872 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 it's
| 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
| ppines, 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
| experimenting the army by a force of
| 400 900 disciplined citizens, raised in incre-
mentS of $4,000 year throughout a pc
riod of three years. This it 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 to the colors
at call at any time throughout an addi-
tional "furlough" period of three years.
This force of 400 900 men would be pro-
ad xritI
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-
coed two months in the year.
It would depend upon the patriotic feel
ing 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 whether they made it posi-
BILE for the younger men in their en-
ploy to 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-
ton they would in fact enlist. would
look forward to the success of such an
At least so much by way of prepara-
ton for defense seems to me to be alb |
solutely imperative now We cannot do |
less. |
Program for the Navy.
The program to be laid before you con- |
templates the construction within five |
years of 10 battleships battle cruis- |
ers, 10 scout cruisers, so destroyers, 10 |
fleet submarines s. coast submarines,
four gunboats, one hospital ship TWO
ships, two fuel-oil ships and
one repair ship. 1t is proposed that of
this number we shall the first year pro-
vide for the construction of two battle
ships, two battle cruisers, three scout
cruisers, Is destroyerS, five fleet subma-
rines, % coast submarines, two gunboats,
and one hospital ship; the second year,
two battleshps, one scout cruiser ten
1estroyers, four fleet submarines, Is coast |
one gunboat and one fuel
Dill ship; the third year, two battleships,
one battle cruiser, two scout cruisers. five
1estroyers, two fleet submarines, and 15
coast submarines; the fourth year, two
two battle cruisers, two
scout cruisers, ten destroyers, two fleet
Is coast submarines, one am
nunition ship, and one fuel-oil ship; and
he fifth year, two battleships, one battle
,ruiser, two scout cruisers, ten destroy
RS. two fleet submarines, Is coast subma-
|
ind one repair ship.
The secretary of the navy is asking
Llso for the immediate addition to the
personnel of the navy of 1850 sailors,
800 apprentice seamen, and $500 marines.
This increase would be sufficient to care
or the ships which are to be completed
within the fiscal year 1917 and also for
he number of men which must be put in
raining to man the ships which will be
completed early in 1915 1t is also neces-
airy that the number of midshipmen at |
he naval academy at Annapolis should
e increased by at least 300 in order that
he force of officers should be more rap
1ly added to: and authority is asked to
ppoint for engineering duties only, ap-
roved graduates of engineering colleges,
nd for service in the aviation corps O
ertain number of men taken from civil
fe.
If this full program should be carried
ut we should have built or building in
321, according to the estimates of surviv-
and standards of classification followed
y the general board of the department,
n effective navy consisting of q battle :
hips of the first line, six battle cruisers,
battleships of the second line, ten ar |
,ored cruisers, 10 scout cruisers, five :
rst-class cruisers, three second-class !
ruisers, ten third-class cruisers, 10S de-
'oyers. IS fleet submarines. 157 coast sub ,
larines, six monitors, 20 gunboats, four
lpply ships, Is fuel ships, four trans
orts, three tenders to torpedo vessels.
ght vessels of special types, and two 5
ships. This would be navy ,
tied to our needs and worthy OF our
additions. =
Trade and Shipping. :
But armies and instruments of war are u
NY part of what has to be considered a
we are to consider the supreme matter s
national self-sufficiency and security t
all it's aspects. There are other great Il
alters which will be thrust upon our at q
ntion whether we will or not. There I
for example, very pressing question c
trade and shipping involved in this r
eat problem of national adequacy. 1t n
necessary for many weighty reasons OF
omen grown far into the years for Z