Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1915-12-10

4AAEAA& AN44N 0&1l 10 GAME care OK lHALI@
selves and Of t. The military arm " their
Eovernment. which thay win not allow to
direct them. they may properly use %
serve them and make their undergraduates
secure--and not their own tndepeadsnce
merely but the rights also Of those with
whom shsy have made common cause.
should they also be put In jeopardy.
They must Be fitted 10 play the great
role In the world. and particularly I'm this
hemisphere. for which they are quail
ned by principle and by chastened smbi-
ton to play.
Il Is With these Ideals in mind that the
CLANS OF the department Of war lar more
adequate national defense were conceived
which viii BE- Laid before you. ana which
I urge you to sanction and put into eF-
feet as soon as they can be properly scra-
tfnfzed ard discussed. They seem 20 me
the ESSENTIAL fiESt steps. and they seem
70 me for the present SUFFICIENT
They contemplate an Increase of the
standing force Of the regular army from
its present strength OF Sgs3 ofieers and
aac-e enlisted men Of all services 10 a
strength Of T,13s oGeers and lSs7G en-
listed men. or 1850. All told. an serv-
ices. rank and ale. BY the addition Of s.
companies Of coast artillery com
panies Of engineers. TEN regiments Of IN
fAufry. four regiments Of field artillery.
and four aero sQuadrons. BESIDES re ON
GERS required for q great variety Of extra
service. especially the aIl-impoTtant duty
Of training the citizen force or which
shall presently speak. ~ bon-commtz-
stoned officers for service IN drill recruit
ing and the Ike. ind the necessary quota
% enlisted men for the QuartermAster
coVr@- the hospital corps. the ordnance
department. and ether similar auxiliary
services These are the additions neces-
saEy TO render the army adequate for its
present duties duties which Il has to
perform not only upon our own cont
mental coasts and borders and at cur in
terror army posts. but also Ia the Phil
ippfnes. in the Hawaiian Islands ct the
isthmus. and in Porto Rico.
Force Of Trained Citizens.
BY way or making the country ready
promptly and upon g larger scale. should
occasion arise. the plan also contemplstes
experimenting the army BY q force OF
80. coo disciplined citizens. raised in mere
ments OF 1zs.0ee q year throughout a Pc
nod Of three years This II IS proposed
to do By q process OF enlistment under
which the seFviceabie men OF the c0un-
try would be asked to bind themselves to
serve with the eo1ors for purposes Of
training for short periods throughout
three years. and to come to the coiors
at call AZ any time throughout an add
ticnAl ''furIOugh" period Of three years-
This force OF 4oo. 90 men would be pro-
ytded with personal Announcements IS fast
as enlisted and their equipment for the
field made ready 20 be supplied at any
time They would be assembled for train
ing al stated intervals az convenient
places In association with suitable units
Of the regular army Their period Of
annual training would not necessarily ak
coed two months in the year.
IL would depend upon the patriotic feel
ing Of the younger men Of the country
whether they responded TO such q call
70 service or not II would depend upon
the patriotic spirit Of the employers Of
the country whether they made Il posi-
bic for the younger men in their EN-
ploy TO respond under favorable cOndI-
lions or not !. for one. do not doubt
the patriotic devotion either Of uur young
men or Of those who give them employ
msnt-those for whose bensft and protec-
ton they would in fact enlist
The program which Will be laid before
you by the Secretary OF the navy il sIm-
LARRY conceived. IL involves only &
shortening Of the time within which plans
long matuFed shall be carried out: but 1t
does make definite and explicit program
which has heretofore been only implicit
held In the minds of the committees on
naval Affairs and disclosed IN the debates
Of the two houses but nowhere fOrmu-
lated OF formally adopted II seems TO
me very clear that IL viii be 70 the ad-
vantage OF the country for the congress
to adopt 3 comprehensive plan for put
ting the navy upon a final footing OF
strength and efficiency and to press that
plan 20 completion within the next FIVE
years. We have always looked TO the
| navy Of the country as our first and chief
| Hne Of defense: we have always seen IL
to be cur manifest course of prudence
/ 70 Be strong on the seas. Tear By year
/ Ee have been creating a navy which now
ranks VERY high indeed among the nayies
/ OF the maritime nations. We should nov
/ definitely determine how we shall com
plsts what We have begun. and how soon.
Program for the Navy.
| The secretary Of the navy is asking
/ also for the immediate addition 10 the
/ personnel of the navy Of 100 sailors.
1 ESQ apprentice seamen. and go marines
/ This increase would be sufficient TO care
i for the ships which are to be completed
| within the hscal year 1917 and also for
/ the number Of men which must be put IN
i training to man the ships which will be
4 completed early In 1918 Il is also neces-
sary that the number OF midshipmen at
i the naval academy al Annapolis should
! Be increased by at least 30 in order that
the force Of officers should be more rap
1 idly added to- and authority Is asked 10
/ appoint for engineering duties only, ap-
4 proved graduates Of engineering colleges
! and for service In the aviation corps a
certain number of men taken from civil
| life
4 Al NlAA AuAi program SIOUlQ De carried
\ out we should have built or building in
1871. according TO the estimates OF survtv-
| al and standards of classification followed
by the general board of the department.
an effective navy consisting OF q battle
ships Of the first line, six battle cruisers.
. battleships OF the second line. ten ar
noFed cruisers. 13 scout cruisers. hve
| nrst-clAss cruisers. three second-class
cruisers, ten third-class cruisers les DE-
| froyers, Is feet submarines IS coast sub
marines. six monitors % gunboatH, four
| supply ships. Is fuel ships four trans
ports. three tenders 70 torpedo vessels,
! eight vessels Of special types and two
ammunition ships. This would be a navy
htted 10 our needs and worthy OF our
traditions.
Trade and Shipping.
But armies and instruments Of war are
only part Of what has 10 be considered
II Ee are 20 consider the supreme matter
| of national seif-suhiciency and security
in all its aspects There are other great
matters which viii be thrust upon cur at
fention whether we will OF not There
Is, for example. . very pressing question
| OF trade and shipping involved in this
great problem Of national adequacy. II
Is necessary for many weiEhty reasons OF
national efficiency and development that
| We should have q great merchant ma
rfne- The great merchant feet We once
/ used 70 make us rtch. that great body of
| sturdy sailors who used to carry our flag
| into every sea. and who we're the pride
and often the buIwark Of the nation. we
have almost driven out Of existence By
! inexcusable neglect and indifference and
BY hopelesAlS blind and provincial pol
icy of e1-c4lled economic prOferrfnu Ts