The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-18

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possible In n nearly completed enlistment
period
Wr. GRrdnrr's %InGniry.
MI. Gardeners letter to Secretary
Baker was
Sir: On page IL Of Mr.. Hays re-
port on the new army bill l find a
statement that l.324.790 men will be
at once available az a national force
upon the passage OF the Hay army
bill.
Calculating In the same way as Mr..
Hays table IL calculated. how any
men are now available NJ q national
force without the passage Of I'M bill
at all? Very respectfully.
A. T.. GARDNER.
March 3. 1916.
The secretar,'s Response.
Secretary Bakers reply TO Mr.. Gard
ner follows:
WAsHiNoroN. March 10. 1915.
DEAR SIR I. In reply TO your let
ter ~ March .. 1915. I would answer
the question therein contained as fol-
lows:
Using the same method Of .calcula-
ton as Mr.. Hay adopted on page ~
Of his report on the new army bill, We
should now have available, without
any legislation whatever. approxi-
mately the following numbe Of men
who nave had some military training
Regular army. including
Philippine Scouts ..... 100. 900
Reserve Of regular army $4,000
National Guard ........ 1923, O0O
Men trained md in the
country "......,... s"o,iso
Total ..l,2si,1"O
In other words. the only mmc-
date effect Of the paSsage OF the
Hous. army bill would be To Increase
the regular army by 10000 men. and
that increase being added IN four an
nual incremcnts would require about
four years time to be recruited and
"A still longer time to become effective.
=. The ~fallacy OF this method Of cal
cuiation L. shown by the following
statement Of actual conditlons
A. a matter OF fact. the reserve Of
tho regular drmy at present amounts
20 only about ..s7a men. This num-
lsr viii .ncrease gradually until UNI
der the cN sung period Of enlistment
II teaches Il maximum equal to about
40 Der cent Of the total strength OF
me regular At'lN. W .fphr t's''N "
for the present array Of 100 coo. or
80 5000 men for the army OF l+"."oo
provided by the House bill. The net
increase IN the reserve would ul's-
mattel, reach about 5000. but Il
would not begin to Oecom, effective
until abou, three years after the pas
sage of the bill.
No Deduction for Dcaths.
Mr.. Hay estimates tina there are
1890 men who have had military
, training and a.. now IN the countTH.
I. is est mated ruinlrr Includes go
200 men VINO Eavc passed through the
I REGULAR army IN the past ten years.
$3.50 mon vino hayc passed through
the National Guard and $4,000" men
who have passed through military
81, auuis and co,i'g.s in the sane PEE
rod. NJ deduction = mad. FOG those
who have died or become unht Tor
sINite.
From tae annual reports of tho Al
+ tutnu,-tierera Ne lind that during
tn. pdst cen years ther" nave heeh
DISCARDED from tive army s'."'' men
Nbn DID no, recnlist. III We st.mat
IL. number Of those W. have prob
,b'y died o. become physically unh'
for =, rvt,. AZ . per cent n wear or
cG>.. we would lave remaining ~
;,G men instead Of 27o.20", as ESTE
mated by Mr.. Hay.
These so,196 men may he considered
as having been adequately trained ~
. da., oc discharge. but subsequent
rr,nyes in methods. armament. &c
and the long separation OF many "r
ten fipm all connection WIN matters