Grand Forks daily herald., 1915-12-10

come of the wars In which the coun-
try has been engaged has given the
public wrong impression. In as
much as careful study of these wars
leadership, needless waste Of lives and
probably. costly overhead charges
augmented by payment of bounties to
keep up voluntary enlistments, undue
prolongatiOn Of all these wars and
finally, reckless expenditure of public
funds for continuing pensions"
But we have not learned our les
son. the report adds. 1T has never
bean driven homo by the bitterness of
defeat. We have never known a Jena
or Sedan.''
Turning to "our abiding national
policies" the board finds these to the
Monroe doctrine and the policy of
avoiding "entangling alliances" TO
maintain these, 1t says. q co-ordinated
policy OF land and sea defense must be
evolved.
The report contains a table of the
military strength OF the seven leading
foreign powers as OF August, 1914,
and also an estimate of the available
shipping for military expedition to
the United States 1t says a reason
able estimate" shows that Austria
1 Hungary, with total trained force of
/ 4,s20, 900 men, could send 10000 men
with all necessary stores and animals
across the seas within 40.7 days in
t two expeditions: France, with 6.000.-
, 900 men, 404,226 in 80 days; Germany
with 100000 men, $4,000 in so.S
days: Great Britain, with $4,000 men,
10000 in ~ days: Italy. with 2.eoo.-
900 men. $4,000 in 35 days; Japan,
with 2,212.000 men, 238,367 in Al
days. and Russia, with 100000 men,
104,074 in 40 days,
The qualities OF these troops, with
the exception Of the Japanese who
proved themselves ", the Russian war,
are now being tested the report de-
clares and finds that the result is to
show IAN example OF resultant effic-
iency OF any nation that has developed
sound military policy; the soundest
successful termination Of the war in
the shortest time"
Presenting the military problem of
the country the report continues:
without superiority on the sea or
an adequate land force there is moth
ing to prevent any hostile power or
coalition Of powers from landing on
our shores such part of its trained and
disciplined troops as its available
transports can carry. The time requir-
ed is limited only by the average speed
Of it's vessels and the delay necessari-
ly consumed in embarking and dis
embarking."
The report then makes this state
| ment OF the military problem:
Prom what has been stated, we
are forced to the conclusion that we
must be prepared to resist combined
land and sea operation Of formidable
strength. Our principal coast cities
and important harbors have already
hx, H.
which. by passive method alone. can
deny to an enemy the use OF these
localities AS bases for such expeditions.
THE enemy being unable to gain a
foothold in any of these fortified areas
by direct naval attack will therefore
be forced to find some suitable place
on the coast from which land opera
tions can be conducted both against
the important coast cities aid the ricl,
commercial centers in the interior.
Long stretches of coast line between
the fortified places lie open to the en-
eny. The only reasonable way in
which these localities can be defend
ed is by providing a mobile land force
OF sufficient strength, so located that
it may be thrown in at threatene ed
points at the proper time.
1T has just been shown what the
strength Of these expeditions might be.
rs wen az tne time required for any
one or them to develop its whole ef-
fective force. Hence it can be seen,
when we take into consideration the
possible two months delay provided
by the navy. that our system should
be able to furnish 100000 trained and
organized mobile troops at the out
break OF the war and to have at least
100000 more available within 90 DAYS
thereafter. Here, however. it must be
pointed out that two expeditions alone
Will provide force large enough to
cope with out 100000 mobile troops,
and consequently we must Mt the out
break of hostilities provide the system
10 raise and train in addition. at least
100000 troops to replace the losses
war; ~
In its recommendations for the reg