The Washington times., 1916-01-02

author states. that such a force would
be smaller than the actual strength of
the regular army at any time since the
it numbered only 22.310 but when we
had more than a million volunteers
who were regulars in everything but
MISUNDERSTANDING that In those
hity-three years our population has in
creased from about 81, 100000 to 10000
0O0."
One Shudders to Think.
The author finds that the guns OF
the Notifications in the United States
firing at the limit of their capacity
would expend every bit of ammunit on
that they possess within forty-five min
utes. IL the mortars were similarly
fired they would exhaust the last round
of ammunition in thirty minutes. One
shudders to contemplate what would
happen If our Notifications were SUP
tected to such a gruelling bomba rdmcut
for weeks as those in the DardanelIes
have recently undergone
1t Is also asserted that IAN hour ana
forty-six minutes would suffice to cx-
haust the last round of ammunition il
the guns lat the Panama Canab were
fired at their maximum rate, and that
tack by a hostile force disembarking
| on the Pacific side at a point about
sixty miles south of Panama and ad-
vancing along the plateau"
Mr.. Hudekoper finds that the Ameri-
can army Is far more expensive in pro-
portion to it's size than any Of the
others, and that each man costs more
regulars-wkich are in reality a ma
tlonal police-are more expensive than
| the police forces of the leading cities
Of the United States" In 1914 the fig
Officers and men, 924s2 cost of main
tenance, s97 7,013,g65.S7.
The author asserts that Germany
the territorial limits of the United
States within Ave weeks. and that Great
Britain could put approximately the
same number on our northern frontier
in thirty days, but in the opinion of
military experts no nation would under
take to invade America with less than
100000 or 10000 troops, and Mr.. Huide-
koper declares the United States. there
fore. must have at least an equal num-
Der of trained men ready for service
at the outset of hostilities I'm the
first place, this country will be obliged
to maintain regular army which. on
a peace footing, numbers at least 300"
enlisted men. The term Of enlistment
NUT be definitely fixed at seven years
Would Graduate 125.000 a Year.
He recommends a system by which
there would be graduated yearly 125,O01
men ready for war. He condemns the
prevailing post system, and says: 1T
| Is an absolute impossibility that the
army can be administered or attain
that efficiency which it ought to pos
sess unless fully :our-fifths of the gar
| risons and posts in the country are
abolished" The War College, he says.
has estimated that an annual saving
, , of IS, 900 900 could be effected II the pres
ent mobile force we're concentrated in
eight posts. 1t is recommended that
the troops be stationed only at STRAIT
egic points which are additionally CEN
ters favorable for transportation, ad-
. nITliC Cf frQt i0n nd
The author has made a careful study
of the militia, arriving at the conclu-
sion expressed by General Washington.
which was condemnatory. The act of
May q, 1905, which prescribed that the
organized militia shall be called into
the service of the United States in
it may be determined to raise is ad-
Judged to be 'one of the most fragrant
pieces Of folly ever injected into the
military legislation of the country. So
long as ii remains on the statute books
there need be no hope of our possessing
n sound military organization suitable
to the stress of war" Two solutions in
respect Of the militia are made. EITHER
II must be taken wholly out of the
hands Of the several States and placed
under the absolute control of the Fed
cral Government or, If 1t is to remain
in State control. It must be appraised
at its true value as military asset
and relegated TO the third line Of de
fense. In the latter event a force of
United States volunteers ESa otGnass must .nS 6s
men enrolled in this force of United
States volunteers should receive an in
tensive training similar to that given
to the Swiss, -
Some Reforms Urged.
The crux of the whole question is
found to be in the matter of training,
as regards men, and From a military
point of view the problem of obtain
ing men In time of war would be tre-
mendously smplifed II military drill.
military hygiene, and the elements of
rife shooting were made compulsory in
every public and private school, as well
as in every college and university in
the United States.
Reforms in recruiting, the creation of
a council of national defense and
complete reorganization of th% War
Department are among the recommen-
dation made by Mr.. Huidekoper:
L. l.. c.