The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1915-12-08
SUGGESTS BROAD PLAN
FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE.
Increase Standing Regular Force-Four
Hundred Thousand Citizen Soldiers.

Hundred Thousand Citizen Soldiers.
But war has never been mere mat
fer of men and guns. 1t is thing
of Disciplined might. If our citizens
are ever to fight effectively upon
sudden summons, they must know
how modern fighting is done. and what
to do when the summons comes to
render themselves Immediately avail.
able and Immediately effective. And
the government must be their servant
in this matter, must supply them with
the training they need TO take care of
themselves 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 ,but III jeopardy they
must be fitted to play the great role
in the world and particularly in this
hemisphere for which they are quail
fed bs principle anil by chastcncl am
>bitfoRs 10 plny.'
1t III With these ideals in mind that
the ift.tYs Of the department or war for
moreGalequafe national defense were
conceived which will be laid before
you. and Which urge you to sanction
and put ii3to effect as soon as they can
be properly scrutinized and discussed
They seem to me the essential first
steps. and thry seem to me for the
present sufficient.
They contemplate an increase of the
standing force of the regular army
from its present strength Of 5.023 Off
GERS and 1O29S5 enlisted men of all
services to a strength of 7,13G officers
and 134.T01 enlisted men. or 141.S43
all fold. all services, rank and file. by
the addition Of flfty-two companies of
coast artillery. fifteen companies of en-
gineers. ten regiments of infantry. four
regiments of field artillery and four
aero sqlladroDs. besides $50 officers re-
CURED tor a great variety of extra
service. especially the all important
duty Of training the citizen force of
which shall presently speak. 1872 non
Commissioned officers for service in
drill. recruiting and the like and the
necessary quota Of enlisted men for
the quartcrrastcr corps. the hospital
corps, the ordnance department and
other similar auxiliary services These
arc the additions necessary to rcndc'
the army adequate for its present df
ties, duties which it has to perform
not only upon our own continental
coasts and borders and at our interior
army posts. but also hi the Philippines
in the Hawaiian Islands. at the 18TH
mus and in Porto Rico
By way of making the country ready
to assert SOME part OF its real power
promptly and upon larger scale
should OCCASION arise the plan also
contenipIates supplemcnting the army
nv n force of 100000 disciplined citi-
zens, raised In lncremellts OF l33'O0o
wear throughout rcriodSof tnree
wears. This II IS proposed to do by
process of enlistment under which the
scryiceablc men Of the country would
he asked to bind themselves to serve
with the colors for purposes OF train
ing for short periods throughout three
venrs and to come to the coiors at call
at any time throughout an additional
.furlough" period Of three years. ms
force of 100000 men wouid be pro
yided with PERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS as
fast as enlisted ami their equipment
for the field made ready to be supplied
at any time. They would he assem-
b1ed for trimming 1T stated Intervals AT
convenient places In association with
suitable units Of tbe regular array
Their period Of annual training would
NOT necessarily exceed tTn months in
the year.
The president says it is MP TO the
mn riotip Young men of the country to
respond to this call.