The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-11-05

It Is with this idea, with this con-
ception. in mind that the plans have
been made, which II Will he my priv
iege to lay before the Congress at it's
next session. That plan calls for only
such an Increase in the regular army
of the United States as experience has
proved to he required for the per-
Torrance of the necessary duties of
the army in the Philippines, In Hawai- ,
I'm Porto Rico. upon the borders OF
the United States. at the coast forti-
fications, and at me military posts OF
the interior. For the rest. II calls for
the training within the next three
years of a force of 100000 citizen SOL
diers to be raised in annual conting-
ents OF $4,000, who would be asked
TO enlist for three gears with the
colors, and three years on furlough;
but who, during their three years OF
enlistment with the colors, would not
be organized as n standing force. but
would be expected merely to undergo
intensive training FOR a very brief Pc
riod OF each year. Their training
would take place in immediate assoc
citation with the organized units of
the regular army 1t would have no
touch of the amateur about 1t, neither
would ii exact of the volunteers more
than they could give in any one year
from their civilian pursuits.
Not to Supcrsede Militia.
And none of this would be done
In such a way as in the slightest de-
gree to supersede or subordinate GU.
present serviceable and efficient Ma
tional Guard On the contrary, the
National Guard itself would be USED
as part Of the instrumentality by
which training would be given the
citizens who enlisted under the new
conditions. and ] should hope and ex-
pect that the legislation by which all
this would be accomplished would
put the National Guard itself upon
a better and more permanent footing
than 1t has ever been before. giving
it not only the recognition which il
deserves, but more definite support
from the national government and
more definite connection with the mil
itary organization Of the nation.
What We all wish to accomplish il
that the forces of the nation should
indeed be part of the nation and not
separate professional force. and the
chief cost Of the system would not be
in the enlistment or in the training of
the men. but in the providing OF am
pie equipment in case it should be
necessary to call alt forces into the
field
Moreover. it has been American
policy time out Of mind to look to
the navy as the first and chief line
of defense. The navy of the United
States is already very great and eff
ficient force. Not rapidly. but slow
ly. with careful attention. our naval
force has been developed until the
navy OF the United States stands rec
ognized as one Of the most efficient
and notable Of the modern time. All
that In needed in order to bring il
to point of extraordinary force and
efficiency as compared with the other
navies of the world is that We should
hasten our pace in the policy we have
long been pursuing. and that chief OF
all we should have a definite policy
of development. not made from year
to year. but looking well into the fu-
tnre and planning for a definite con-
summation. We can and should profit
in all that we do by the experience
and example that have been made OH
yious to us by the military and naval
events of the actual present 1t IL
not merely matter of building bat
tfeships and cruisers and submarines,
but also matter of making sure that
we shall have the adequate equipment
Of men and munitions and supplies
build. Part of our problem is the
problem Of what I may call the mobi-
iization OF the resources of the nation
at the proper time If 1t should ever
be necessary to mobilize them for ma
tional defense. We shall study ef-
ficiency and adequate equipment as
carefully as We shall study the num-
Der and size OF our ships. and / be-
heve that the plans already in part
made public by the Naval Depart
ment are plans which the whole ma
ton can approve with rational en-
thIsiasm.
No Panic in Order.
Nc thoughtful man feels any panic
haste in this matter. The country
is not threatened from any quarter
She stands in friendly relations with
all the world. Her resources are
known, and her seaf-respect and her
capacity to care for her own citizens
and her own rights There Is no fear
amongst us. Under the new-worid
conditions we have become thought
full OF the things which all reason
able men consider necessary for ce-
curity and self-defense on the part