Evening journal., 1916-03-21
INCREASING The ARMY
(From the New York hribme)

Congress by joint resolution has au-
ihorized a temporary increase in the
enlisted strength of the army. About
twenty thousand recruits are to be in
corpornted into existing organizations
by raising the strength of these organi-
zations TO the maximum figure provided
by law.
On the present peace footing the in
fantry regiments i'm this country are on
a As per cent strength basis, the cavalry
regiments on - per cent. basis and
the field artillery regiments on q per
cent. basis. The joint resolution ap-I
plies also to the coast artillery com
panies. hut it is not intended TO recruit
them TO the maximum limit. because
they are not considered available for
service on the Mexican border.
The Joint resolution passed is para
phrase of the first paragraph of the
ilav army reorganization bill The in
crease is for emergency purposes only.
The hill makes the increase contingent
ON war on the threat of war. The rcso-
lntiou makes IL contingent on the ap-
pearnuce and continuance Of what the
President may consider an emergency
The easiest way TO utilize recruits to
the regular army is to incorporate them
into existing organizations. Numbers
ARE titus increased quickly. though at
thc expense of the efficiency of the eN-
istina regiments. War material Is
available at once. while the average OF
quality is lowered. But to call this tenn
rorary expansion Of existing candrcs q
real increase OF the army Is merely 70
iunnlc with words The cadres are not
permanently enlarged nor is provision
made for additional officers. The whole
scheme is makeshift. The regiments
are 10 shrink back TO their minimum
strength as soon as the particular
emergency which the joint resolution
has in view vanishes.
What is needed in the way OF mill
tary reorganization is permanent In
crease Of strength OF the army In all
iis branches. II is folly to talk about
picayune additions to this branch or
that branch OF the service when the
whole military establishment needs TO
be broadcned out from foundation TO
capstone. The army we have at pres
ent is only a toy army. II cannot do
what an American army is likely 10 De
called on at almost any time TO do.
Last Friday President Wilson Or
dered American troops into Chnhua-
hua. They did not go, because they
were not prepared to go. The comman-
der at the front knew that it would
be foolhardy TO send q tiny command
into the Chihuahua desert to bring
back villa dead or alive" Safety for
the expedition could be guaranteed
H. IN af ha 10 glr-
perior Mexican forces across the
boundary line. Entering Mexico with
out permission from Carranza, our
troopers might have been lucky to get
back themselves dead or alive"
General Funston prudently declined
to take chances with his little COM
mand. Instead. he called for reinforce
ments, and our Washington dispatches
reported yesterday that his represen-
tations that the forces at his COM
mand should not be fewer than fifty
thousand made deep impression on
the President and the cabinet"
II has been obvious for months past
that the trops we had on the Mexican
border We're not equal to anything be-
| yond maintaining weak defensive
They have not been strong enough ia
/ keep out Mexican marauders lf we
had got into war with the Carranza
| government. there was no assurance
that a Mexican general of the quality
of Obregon might not have taken Il
Pas0 from us and terrorized the whole
Rio Grande region. Yet now. after
calling on General Funston TO risk an
incursion into Mexico without Car
ranza's consent. the administration i.