Cheyenne record., 1915-12-09

which will be laid before you, and which
I urge you to sanction and put into ef.
feet as soon as 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 5.023 officers and
102.9S5 enlisted men of all services to
strength Of 7.136 officers and 134.707 en-
listed men, or 141.s43 all told. all serv-
ices. rank and file, by the addition of 81
companies of coast artillery. Is COM
panies OF engineers, ten regiments of in
fantry, four regiments of field artillery,
and four aero squadrons, besides TO off,
GERS required for a great variety of extra
service. especially the all-important duty
of training the citizen force of which
shall presently speak, 1872 non-commis-
stoned officers for service in drill. recruit
Ing and the like. and the necessary quota
of enlisted men for the quartermaster
corps. the hospital corps, the ordnance
department and other similar auxiliary
services. These are the additions neces-
sary to render the army adequate for Its
present duties. duties which it has to
perform not only upon our own CONT
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 a larger scale. should
occasion arise. the plan also contemplates
supplementine the army by force OF
100000 disciplined citizens. raised in incre-
ments of $4,000 year throughout Pc
riod of three years. This 1t is proposed
to do by process of. enlistment under
which the serviceable men of the coun-
try would be asked to bind themselves to
with the colnra for nllrD0Sea of
training for short periods throughout
three years, and to come to the colors
at call at any time throughout an addi-
tional '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 be assembled for train
ing at stated intervals at convenient
places in association with suitable units
of the regular army. Their period of
annual training would not necessarily ex-
coed two months in the year.
1t would depend upon the patriotic feel
ing Of the younger men of the country
whether they responded to such call
to service or not. 1t would depend upon
the patriotic spirit of the employers of
the country whether they made 1t possi-
BILE for the younger men In their en-
ploy to respond under favorable condi-
tions or not. I. for one. do not doubt
tIlc pdlElOllS ueNotlou 0ilHCA VI ooi yodhS
men or Of those who give them employ
ment-those for whose benefit and proteo-
tion they would in fact enlist.
Program for the Navy.
The secretary of the navy Is asking
also for the immediate addition to the
personnel of the navy Of 1880 sailors.
$500 apprentice seamen. and 1,6O0 marines.
This increase would be sufficient to caro-
for the ships which are to be completed
within the fiscal year 1917 and also for
the number of men which must be put in
training to man the ships which will be
completed early in 1918. 1t 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
the force Of officers should be more rap
idly added to; and authority Is asked to
appoint for engineering duties only. ap-
proved graduates of engineering colleges.
and for service in the aviation corps a
certain number of men taken from civil
life.
II this full program should be carried
out we should have built or building in
1921. according to the estimates of surviv-
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.
25 battleships Of the second line. ten ar
mored cruisers. IS scout cruisers. nve
first-class cruisers, three second d-class
cruisers. ten third-class cruisers. 10s de-
troyers, 18 fleet submarines. 157 coast sub
marines. six monitors. 20 gunboats. four
supply ships, 15 fuel ships. four trans
ports, three tenders to torpedo vessels,
eight vessels Of special types. and two
ammunition ships. This would be q navy
fitted 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
of national self-sufficiency and security
in all its aspects. There are other great
matters which will be thrust upon our at
tention whether we will or not. There
Is. for example, a very pressing question
of trade and shipping involved in this
IL necessary for many weighty reasons Of
national efficiency and development that
we should have a great merchant ma
rine The great merchant fleet we once
used to make US rich, that great body OF
sturdy sailors who used to carry our flag
into every sea, and who were the pride
and often the bulwark of the nation. we
have almost driven out Of existence by
inexcusable neglect and Indifference and
by a hopelessly blind and provincial pol
icy of so-called economic protection. It
Is high time we repaired our mistake and
resumed our commercial independence on
the seas.
For 1t Is a question of independence.
II other nations go to war or seek to
hamper each others commerce, our mer-
chants, 1t seems, are at their mercy
to do with as they please. We must use
their ships. and use them as they deter
mine. We have not ships enough Of our
own. We cannot handle our own COM