New Britain herald., 1915-12-29
NEW ARMY BILL
 TOGO TO CONGRESS
Section IA Relates to "C0ntinental
 Army of 100000 Men
Especial to the Herald.)

on military affairs have been holding
 sessions during the holidays and have
 perfected a bill that will be submitted
 to the full mem mbership of the com
 mittee as soon as congress meets again
 January 4. The first thirteen sections
 of the new bill relate to the regular
 army and provide that it shall at all
 times be sustained as nearly as possi-
 ble at the maximum strength fixed by
 law.
 Section IA authorizes the president
 to raise, organize, train and maintain
 citizen army of not to exceed 400,-
 000men, to be known as the Cont
 900 men to be known as the "Conti-
 annual contingents, and thereafter
 maintained by annual contingents suf-
 ficient to keep the number up to the authorized strength of 100000 men. For this purpose the president is au- thorized to divide the United States into such number of divisional dis tricts as he may prescribe. The Con- tinental Army shall consist of such number of regiments of Infantry, Cavalry, and Field Artillery, and of such Engineers and auxiliary troops, as the president may deem proper, within the limits of the force author lzed in the bill, but the president may vary the proportions of the several arms, corps, and departments as he may deem necessary for the purpose of training. The bill provides that ex- cept for the periods of training as provided for, the Continental Army shall not be called out for service ex- cept when authorized by congress in the emergency of actual or imminent war.
 Prescribed by Law.
 It is provided that the organiza- tions of all the units of the Continen- tai army, staff and line, including headquarters, shall be the same as that prescribed by law and regula- tions for corresponding units of the regular army. It is provided that at any time within three years from and after the date of the going into effect 1 of this law any unit of the organized | militia of any state which shall pre- sent itself with three-fourths of its minimum enlisted strength, and the 1 consent of the proper state authori- l ties, for entry into the Continental army, may be enlisted and the officers of such companies, troops, batteries, 1 hattalions, squadrons, regiments or higher units, including the field and staff and general officers, may be ap- pointed officers in the Continental l army, and such officers and enlisted | 1aen1' so received into the Continental ] army shall stand discharged from the organized militia of which they were members.
 In Case of War.
 In the event of war all enlistmen ents 1 sNhich would otherwise expire within 1 one year shall continue in force for the period of one year from the be- ginning of the war, unless sooner ter minated by the president. ' The bill provides that all men en- listed under it's provision shall be ta- Ken from among citizens of the Unit ed States, who shall be at the time of their first enlistment. between the ages of eighteen and tl1iry-five years. Section 19 provides that in the event of war only shall the President be authorized by congress to call out the Continental Army Reserves for the purposes of war. The officers of the Continental Army shall be ap- pointed, first from officers of the regular army on the active list. to serve in the continental army not to exceed four years; second, from mem- bers of officers reserve corps. to he hereinafter provided for; third, from officers of the organized militia and retired officers of the regular army. and subject to such examinations that the president may prescribe from graduates or undergraduates of edu- csFional institutions having military courses, and other citizens who have qualified themselves by experience and study. The president alone is authorized to appoint all the officers of the continental army below the grade of lieutenant colonel All of- hcers of the grade of lieutenant colonel and of higher grades in that army shall be appointed by the presi- dent by and with the consent of the senate.
 |# Change of Residence.
 It is provided that when an officer of the continental army changes his residence so as to make service with the organization to which he is as- sigred impracticable or inconvenient to the government, the president may. Tn lieu of transferring him to another organization of the continental army at or near the locality to which he had changed his residence, transfer him, if below the grade of lieuten- ant colonel to the officers reserve corps in the grade held by him in the continental army, or if above inc grasle of major, he may honorably dis charge him from the continental, army It is also provided that when an enlisted man so changes his resi- dence he shall be transferred to an organization of the continental army at or near the locality to which he has changed his residence, and his de- scriptive list, with a statement of his accounts. shall be transmitted to the