New-York tribune., 1916-02-23
A Paper Army or a Real Army?


In his message TO Congress last Decen-
ber President Wilson recommended the
continental army scheme as an essen
tial first step" in military preparation
In his correspondence preceding secretary
Carrison's resignation he explained that
his mind was still "open TO conviction as
10 the comparative merits Of the cohu-
Mental army scheme and the Hay scheme OF
n more or less federalized national guard.
Now. so far as the House Of Representa-
t;ves IS concerned, the possibility Of keep
ing that open mind open any longer mas
vanished. As a third line Of national de-
fence the House offers the President a
"federalized" national guard or nothing
at all.
In our opinion the chief failing Of the
bill which the House Committee on Mill
tarv Affairs is going TO report Is not thst
:. discards the continental army plan
for the nationalized militia plan' Inc
former has been preferred to the latter
bv intelligent military critics, solely be-
cause IL emphasized the necessity OF com
nlete national control over third line
material as well as over second and hrst
line material. There should be no division
of authority in any branch Of the military
service between the Federal government
and the state governments. Yet II we put
q rational valuation on the state militia
denominations. if we are willing to rec
ognize the fact that they constitute only
an eventual. partly trained reserve not 10
bo seriously reckoned with IN our plans
for real first line army. the natlohai
cuard. as reorganized under the Hay plan'
might be about as useful practically as
anv similar under-trained, semi-amateur
continental army.
In our view the House committees plan
Of army reorganization errs not so mucfl
in what it does for the third line as III
what It fails so conspicuously to DO Tor
The first line. SO far as military efficiency
goes. it puts the cart before the horse'
Why give so much time, energy ana money
% building up reserves Of dubious value
wbile refusing TO create an adequate mo-
bile army equal to meeting the hrst shocK
Of an invasion and a permanent orgam-
yation capable of assimilating the BODIES
of half raw recruits which are to supply
its wastage?
The increase which the House of Rep
resentatives is willing to make IN the
regular army is pitifully insufficient 1t
would enlarge the mobile army IN CONT
mental United States from $4,000 to about
10000. The mobile forces would be or
ganized into three small and widely scat
tered divisions. But the recent report
of the War College section of the General
Staff shows that the minimum mopiie
army needed in continental United States
orobt n consist of $4,000 men, which
.otal would furnish four divisions, organ
;zed on a modern basis. In handling these
divisions the officers Of the higher grades
could get the sort of experience when
would fit them for command in time OF
war.
Our military necessities, in the opinion
of those best qualified TO judge, require
a permanent first line force under arms
of 25O,O00. Why, then. palter and juggle
with the situation, putting the country
off with a cheap instalment plan increase,
raising the total from 100000, as at
present to $4,000?
The House bill contains various pro
visions for charging the officers corps.
The capacity of West Point is 10 be dou-
bled and militia cadet battaions are to be
created for the training of officers. But
with an undersized standing army these
increases in the supply of officers defeat
their own purpose. We can train cadets
to be good lieutenants and captains. But
their military education must cease when
they become majors and colonels. We
have no school of field service in which
they can master their art further. The
skill of the higher command is the real
test of modern army's efficiency, as the
war in Europe has proved In every cam
paign. If we do not have a real army
to serve as training school for our Off
GERS in peace time, what can we expect
TO do in war with a conglomeration of
unframed elements, hastily shaken to-
gether into divisions and armies?
The House has turned its back on reason
and experience in submitting a lame and
futile project of army reorganization
a reorganization on paper. The only hope
of securing a real first line of defence
now lies with the more alert and progress
sive Military Affairs Committee Of the
Senate.