Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-01-20

Washington, Jan. l?--Ma ior- General
committee to-day the coast lire Of tho
United SHtcs was open 80 attack by any
we'll organized foreign army. despite it's
equipment of forts. mines and submarines
and that the oceans formed no serious
barrier to invasion. He declared that in
the cutntrNs present state of utter un-
preparedness for war trained force of
loo,WO men could inflict incalculabe dam
age before an army could he assembled
to meet it.
GALLfPOLI LANDING CITED.
Events of the European war. clearly
demonstrated, the general said. that the
sea was the best medium for the move
ment of troops and he pointed out that
a force of l2G.1n men fully eo,ipped had
been landed at GalipoH from single
expedition of rs ships. against submarines,
mines and an underwater screen of barbed
wire that frnEcd every available landing
place.
Emphasizing his conviction that troops
cannot he improvised to meet regulars,
General Wood declared the fundamental
basis of any policy Of adequate national
defense must he the principle that with
suffrage goes an obligation for military
service Such n policy had been advo.
Gated by George Washington. he said
and if ii had been adopted Canada would
have become part of the United States
in the War Of 1Sl2
WHEN WE WERE PREPARED
Only once in our history have we been
! l,,,.. Il
Immediately after the civil War when W,
had million and a half trained soldiers.
Our diplomatic correspondence with
'Frarce concerning Mexico was very
brief, It required only ono note because
| or our preparedness They were told to
get out and they got out
NO WEAKNESS AFTER WAR.
There isn't going to be any weakness
abroad after this war is over. You will
ind that more male children will have
been born than have been killed or in
1urcd. You will have all the gold, per-
haps, but it will not do YOU much good
unless YOU stiffcn it. with iron"
AS to the immediate needs of tho reg
! uar army General Wood expressed the
| opinion that the force of regulars should
he maintained at 10000 OF these. he
said, 2o@o equipped and supplied for a
years time should he kept in the
Philippines another 2O.oo0 in Hawaii and
loo" at Panama. He urged that tho
regulars should have a reserve system
under which. in a sX-year enlistment
men would he discharged whenever their
company commanders reported them as
| efficient, into reserve TO be deiiu!tely
/ Inc. .itrta.,
! for members of the reserve would be
kept at their stations and once every
| two years they would be required to ior
! the colors for ten days training to kcel
| them up-to-date.
APPROVES CONTINENTAL ARMY
General Wood said that if universe
| military service was not to be obtained
| he favored continental army scheme
| substantially as proposed by the wal
| department, provided ''it is absolutely
divorced from the organized militia.
| The increase for the regular army pro
posed by Secretary Garrison, however
he characterized as "absurdly made
quatc and Indicating a failure to appre
ciatc the lessons OF the European war,
particularly as to the proportion OF ficlo
artillery. He recommended that III,
proportion of field guns he fixed at five
| to every 100 rifles or sahors. Tho pres
cnt army standard is 80 pcr on al
! though in actual equipment the regulars
are nearer two per thousand The boarC
| recently created in the war department
has fixed on so per thousand as th
number necessary.
100000 MEN NEEDED.
| Rcvcrting to the condition or IN
| country TO face war with a first clas
power, the general said the Unitc
States was utterly unprepared and kne'
| nnthinl nf the problems Il would hay