The Washington herald., 1916-12-22
Army and Navy News

six months of intensive training-six
or seven hours a day Under arms-is
equivalent to one and one-half or two
years In the United States regular army
and eight or nine years in the National
Guard" said Maj. Gen. Wood yesterday
at Governors Island, according to dis
patches from New York.
In reply to many questions and criti-
cisms," said the General, II have been
asked to explain more fully why look
upon six months as a sufficient period OF
training.
I'm criticising six months as being q
brief period, the fact is generally over
looked that intensive training is prac-
tically unknown in this country, that not
one officer in a hundred has ever at
tempted 1t or even engaged in 1t. There
is very little of it in our service. indeed.
1t may be stated that intensive training
is unknown in the American army.
1T isn't the number of months or years
a man spends in the army that makes
him trained soldier, but it is the num-
Der of hours Of actual work under arms
and instruction which he receives. A
boy may dawdle along with French three
half hours week and at the end of five
years receive credit for five years work
in French. while another might buckle
down to the work and accomplish more
in six months hard work. So 1t is with
military training. How many people in
discussing it speak In terms of years
rather than hours of application?
I'VE will turn out in six months, il the
training can be held under favorable con-
ditions. men who are on the average bet
ter instructed than the average Of our
regular personnel today. We get as much
in a month of training at Plattsburg as
we do in four and half months of SER
vice in the regular establishment under
ordinary conditions.
at would he impossible to maintain
Plattsburg standards Of intensity for
more than two months and at the out
side three. consequently for consecu-
tive period of six months we would have
to reduce the comparison from four and
a half to one to three to one In order
that the officers and men might come
through"
Contracts arc outstanding for more than
80 army aeroplanes of various types of
which 100 are hydro-aeroplanes. Thirty
six Curtiss R-4 Reconnaissance aero
planes have been ordered for the Third
zero squadron. which will be organized
at San Antonio, Tex, and later the equip
ment will be provided for the Fourth
squadron, to be organized at the same
place.
SO far eight men have qualified for the
reserve aviation personnel, and they have
been assigned to the Curtiss Aviation
School at Newport News. Va, for train
&. While in training they will be car
ried as serSeants in the enlisted aviation
reserve corps, and upon qualification as
aviators they will be commissioned in the
aviation section of the signal officers re-
serve corps.
About 100 additional candidates for the
aviation reserve personnel have been au-
thorized to appear for entrance examina-
ton. of whom about eighteen will be OK
amined at Washington. 1t is proposed
tc keep the aviation reserve personnel on
active duty to make up deficiencies in
the authorized strength of the aviation
section OF the regular army
Naval authorities are puzzled over the
question OF where the new battle cruis-
ers authorized by Congress at the last
session will be tried out. The nearest
course, according to experts. Is Guanta-
namo. The course at ROCkland has not
sufficient depth of water. and it is i'm
practica BILE to hold the tests in the open
sea. STANDARDIZATION OF the screws re-
quires deep water and known distance
The open sea would meet the first re-
quirement, but the accuracy OF distance
would be lacking. 1t is probable that the
battle cruisers will be taken over by the
government before these tests are con-
Quoted, the tests being entirely under
Federal management.