Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-06-29
AME RIGA MAKING
NATIONAL GUARD
MORE EFFICIENT
Reserve System Is Necessary
Declares General Mills
Auxiliary Troops Lacking
for Defense,

isrscAl eosaEoroanrncs 70 sosHHo JOURNAL
Washington, June 2S.-"The Inya-
sion Of America a story recently pub
lished IN McClure's Magazine, has
aroused interest In the United States
military establishment Military ex
pcrts declare the narrative correctly
presented situations that would arise
I'm case America we're invaded by a
powerful enemy An official report
of Gen. A. T. Mills, OF the general
staff, chief of the division Of military
affalrs gives a similar and eompre-
honsiye plan for national defense pre-
pared by the army war college.
with a standing army Of an author
lzcd strength of S7S92, not counting
Philippine scouts ana the hospital
corps. and with an organized militia
with an actual strength of l2S,043, !
The land forces Of the United States
nt present tutal 215.gS5.
First Line Of 100000 Men.
While II is small beginning from
which to build up great fighting ma
chine. should the necessity of one
arise. yet there Is no doubt that the
United sintes could meet any emer-
gency The census for 1910 reported !
more than 10000 600 males of militia
age in this country and the patriotic !
spirit of the American citizen never
has been lacking when a call for
troops has gone forth.
The regulars and the organized MI |
litla would form the first line and ey
cry effort Is being made 10 put into
the field as efficient body Of men |
az possible Merely by recruiting the !
present militia organizations up to
their maximum strength, It Is stated |
that the number could be increased |
to $4,000. and IL tho various states |
would organize all the units In which |
their militia Is now deficient the total
number could be brought up to 3l6,- !
600 This force. added to the regular
army, would make first line of about /
400, 600 men, the great majority of
them we'll trained In the rudiments, al
least Of military knowledge.
General Mills Gives Views.
in his report General Mills SAYS,
THE plans for national defense, as !
formulated by the army war college, |
call for the utilization, in case of a !
war Of some magnitude, of all the |
trained troops available under Ted 4
eral laws, and also Of such additional |
forces, proportlonate to the Darticu-
lar emergency. as may be raised by |
the president under authority OF con- !
gres..
In order that the first line may be
able efficiently 10 conduct military /
operations during the critical period |
when the nation Is laboring to make !
available its great but undoveloped |
military resources, Il is necessary that |
these first-line troops be properly orr I
g0niacd, not only as regards The va /
rlous units of which each arm Of the |
service rs composed, but also as re- /
CARDS the combination of the troops |
of the several arms into properly bal |
anoed units of all arms. The small /
est such unit ~ the tactical division I
Militia In Twelve Divisions.
90 It might seem al first sight. since I
the proportion Of the several arms |
suitable for service IN amy particular /
campaign depends somewhat upon the I
mission Of the force, whether offensive !
or defensive, upon the terrain and I
upon national characteristics. that /
the composition OF the tactical diVl- |
sion would not be the same in the diff 1
ierent armies of the world nor even /
In the different theaters of operations I
Of a single power In practice, II has I
been found Advisable TO provide for I
local conditions not by varying the |
composition of the division but by adj /
ding suitable field army troops. such /
az hoWtaeF or mountain artillery,
pontoon battalions. and aero squad
rons, and also by providing a suitable (
contingent OF field army cavalry Ae-
COrdlngly the tactical division remains /
intact under various conditions of ser
vice Just as do the smaller included /
units of infantry. cavalry or field ar
tillerv and the considerations that fa-
Nor the permanent organization of
these latter units apply with almost
equal force In the ease of the former.
Under tho militia law. the organized
militia Is divided into twelve divisional
districts, each district comprising
enough troops to make complete
military division In the event of the
militia being called into service, these
divisions would be modified and re-
crulted up TO war strength. and placed
under the command of regular off
GERS. tut two states comprise, of
themselves a separate division New
York and Pennsylvania New York is
the sixth division and PENNSYLVANIA
the seventh ohio and Michigan to-
sciher make up the eleventh division.
West virginia virginia, Delaware and
New Jersey compose the eighth diVi- /
sion.
NuSillary Troops Lacking
Each one of the twelve divisions IS
deficient in some respect the gent
oral complaint being thar they lack
the required auXillory troops But
General Mills say the sixth division
is practically complete anu the Sew
onth division (pennsylvania) though
actually lacking considerably IN aux
HAIRY troops, has correct organiga-
tion under way"
Despite tho deficiencies that exist.
the officials of the war department
are placing great reliance upon the
oreuuzed militia, and believe that il
h should become necessary at any
time TO pat an armed force in the
held the citizen soldiery would make
"a good sheWing II Is estimated 10y eN-
ports ana Il has been confirmed by
the experience uf Great Britain inl
the European war that It takes at
least sis months To make soldier
out OF civilian His training con-
ssts Of SO much more than the mere
learning If the manual of arms and
the marching commands that ii is