The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-07-27
RODERICK 0. MATHESON. EDITOR
Army and Many Increase

u EPORTS from Washington now are COM
N mencng to verify the report published in
The Advertiser several weeks ago, based on inside
information supplied this paper from Washington,
of the great increase in the strength of the army
believed desirable by the war department When
The Advertiser announced on June that the war
department was planning to increase the standing
army to nearly one hundred regiments -sixty-four
regiments of infantry in place of the thirty now
authorized; twenty regiments of cavalry in place
of the fifteen at present, and seventeen regiments
OF field artillery in place of the six the list
and that the Oahu garrison would be increased
until there nine regiments of infantry here,
with other supporting units, it was thought that
this paper was induging in dreams ~. SIS
The Associated Press yesterday announced that
the President is preparing special message to be
read at n probable special session Of congress, in
which he will advocate doubling of the army and
a tremendous increase in the navy. with the gar
rSons at Panama, Hawaii and in the Philippines
to be vastly increased This ver6es in part what
this paper announced nearly two months ago. Par
ticuars later from those in authority will verify
the details of the proposed increase wen in this
paper -. r.
The President will ask for $20OO00OQ0 for the
use of the Army for 1916 The appropriations this
year are in the neighborhood of $l0OOO0,0O0, and
this has been the average for the past ten years.
Yet the amount which the President will ask for
the purpose of putting the Army on peace pre-
serving basis is only flea bite compared with
what it would cost to put the army war basis,
on the lines that war is being carried on
abroad. Great Britain is spending $200OO0O0o ey-
cry twenty-eight days. France is spending the
amount at equal rate while Germany, Austria
and Russia doing their fgurings in the billions
I Al 50
ported to be ready to recommend Oahu win bene
fit in the expenditures next year to the amount of
several millions The army posts all to be in
creased and new posts are to be created while the
number of big guns in the Oahu coast defense will
be doubled at least. The building of military
belt road around Oahu will be done. d.
The Navy, according to the Associated Press,
is to ask for more than the Army. the recommen-
dations to be for appropriations totaing $25OOO0,
0OO The building program will include four SUI
perdreadnoughts and several batte-cruisers, at the
present time the Navy having none of the latter
class Of vessels the list, the class which has done
the greater part of whatever fighting the water
has taken place in the North Sea and the value of
which has been proven.
Undoubtedly Oahu will benefit largely in what
ever naval increase is authorized. The Pacific will
undoubtedly secure some of the battle-crusers and
scout ships while the submarine strength here will
be made more effective by the addition to the 40
tilla Of some of the proposed thirtyhve sea- going
underwater fighters.
From purely selfish standpoint, therefore, Io-
noluu should be glad of the sem-oficial confrma y
ton of The Advertisers early news of the great
army developments; while we can afford to be
equally pleased from purely national point of
view. Uncle Sam not only should have Army
and navy to win respect and make attack upon
our shores most hazardous, but, as world events
shaping Uncle Sam must have them, and the
sooner the better The fact that Oahu will benefit
greatly through Army and Navy expenditures i;
only incidental