The Red Cloud chief. [volume] (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923, 1915-12-09

the government must he their servant IN
this matter. must supply them with the
training they need to take care 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-
ton TO play.
II In 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
] urge you to sanction and put into ef.
feet as soon IS they can be properly scru-
tinized 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.O23 officers and
l02,9s5 enlisted men of all services TO
strength OF 7I36 officers and 13i707 en-
listed men. or 1883 all told. all serv-
Ices, rank and file. by the addition OF 50
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 oni-
GERS required for great variety OF extra
service, especially the ail-'mportant duty
OF training the citizen force OF which 7
shall presently speak. 792 non-commis-
stoned officers for service In drill, recruit
Ing and the like. and the necessary quota
or enlisted men for the quartermaster
corps, the hospital corps, the ordnance
ri nj al al,
services. These are the additions neces.
sary TO render the army adequate for It's
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 n larger scale, should
occasion arise, the plan also contemplates
supplementine the army by force OF
i0.OO disciplined citizens, raised In incre-
ments OF $4,000 a year throughout IA pc
Rod OF three years. This II In 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-
tionnl "furlough" period OF three years
This force OF 100000 men would be pro-
vided with personal accoutrements as fast
as enlisted and their equipment for the
field made ready to be supplied at any
time. They would he assembled for train
ing at stated intervals at convenient
places In association with suitable units
or the regular army Their period OF
annual training would not necessarily ex-
coed two months In the year.
IL would depend upon tho patriotic feel
Ing OF the younger mon OF the country
whether they responded to such a call
to service or not. II would depend upon
the patriotic spirit OF the employers OF
tho country whether they made II posi-
Die 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-
tion they would IN fact enlist
The program which will be laid before
you by the secretary OF the navy IL sim
Harry conceived. II involves only a
shortening OF the time within which plans
long matured shall be carried out; but Il
does make definite and explicit program
which has heretofore been only Implicit.
naval affairs and disclosed In the debates
OF the two houses but nowhere formu-
lated or formally adopted. II 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 nve
years. We have always looked to the
navy or 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
ronks 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 1900 sailors.
200 apprentice seamen. and 1900 marines.
This Increase would be sufficient to care
Tor the ships which are to be completed
within the fiscal year 1917 and also for
the number of men which must be nut in
training to man the ships which will be
completed early In 1918. II Is also neces-
sary that the number Of midshIpmen at
the naval academy at Annapolis should
be increased by at least 800 In order that
tne torce OF officers should be more ram
IDLY added to; and authority Is asked to
appoint for engineering duties only. an
proved graduates OF engineering colleges.
ana for service In the aviation CORPS n
certain number OF men taken from civil
life. we
IL this full program should be carried
out we should have built or building I'm
WI, according to the estimates OF suryiy.
al and standards OF classification followed
by the general board OF the department.
an effective navy consisting OF 81 battle
ships OF the first line, six battle cruisers.
20 hattleships OF the second line. ten ar
inored cruisers, l3 scout cruisers. five
nrst-class cruisers, three second-class |
cruisers. ten third-class cruisers. los de-
troyers, is fleet submarines, 1867 coast sub |
marines, six monitors. 20 gunboats. 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 a navy |
ht'ed 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
or national self-sufliciency and security