Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1916-12-22
ARMY HEAD URGES
BIG u S. FORCE
Mai. Gen. Scott Says america
Needs Army of 100000.
VOLUNTEER SYSTEM SCORED
Calls Compulsory Service Best Peace
lnsurance-Senate Committee Told
Mobilization on Border
Was a Failure.

washington, Dec. 1J.-AuNOcaleS
and opponents of system of univer-
sal training for military service TO re-
place the volunteer system as the
mainstay of the nations defense, had
hearing before the senate military
committee on Senator Chamberlain's
bill for universal training, which is
supported by the army general staff.
While representatives OF organiza-
tons opposed TO the bill, headed by
Walter l.. Fisher, former secretary of
the interior, gave their reasons for
opposing it, Major General Scott, chief
of staff Of the army, detailed to the
committee why the general staff con-
Sidered the volunteer system wholly
broken down, inefficient and useless,
and urged that it be discarded for a
universal system of liability to train
ing and service.
Need Army of 100000.
General Scott, disclosing much of
the army war college material, hith-
erto regarded as confidential, shows
that the army general staff now be-
lieves that instead of 100000 available
men, which it considered sufficient as
a start to defend the country against
invasion, the country should have
100000 fully trained men at the be-
ginning of war, with a like number
ready to follow in 80 days. The
change is based ON the development
of the British army, the organization
of great Canadian forces and the Brit
iSh alliance with Japan.
With such force available the
army general staff, General Scott said,
considers the United States practical
ly immune from such an attack as
military strategists believe might be
expected from the victorious set of
powers in the European war;
Mobilization Failure, Says Gen. Wood.
Major General Wood, commander of
the department of the east, told the
committee nothing could have been
more pronounced than the complete in
efficiency of the recent militia mobiliza-
ton on the Mexican border.
Urging intensive military training
as the only means by which the Uni
ted States can procure a much-needed
and adequate national defense, Gen
eral Wood referred to the Mexican
border militia mobilization.
you have seen the result of the
recent mobilization of the militia on
the border" said General Wood, who
had much to do with the work. 1T
was the most terrific and complete fail
ure ever attempted on that line. Moth
ing could be more pronounced than its
complete inefficiency."
General Woods proposal was that
every young man physically fit for
military service should be subjected
in his nineteenth year to six months
of intensive military training which
would be equivalent TO about eighteen
months of training IS now given in
the regular army. In his twenty-first
year such a trained soldier would be
subject to a call to the colors, and in
that year should be subjected to at
least twenty days field service. At the
age of Twenty-Five years the term of
the trained citizen soldier in which he
would be subject to call in case of ma
tional emergency would terminate.
Under such a system General Wood
estimated that there would be trained
each year an army of 100000 men, and
that by holding these men subject TO
service for eight years that there al
ways would be available after the first
eight years an army of 10000 900
trained men.
Volunteer System Dangerous.
General Scott told the senate mill.
tary committee that the army general
staff recommended, without apology.
that the volunteer system be discard
ed because THE time has come when
this country, unless it intends to avoid
war at any cost must resort to uni
versal liability to military training
and service"
Arraigning the volunteer system as
extravagant inefficient and dangerous
the chief of staff told the committee
that universal training would be demo-
cratic, reliable, efficient and econom-
zeal, and within Il few years practical
~ render the United States imnuna
from attack.
ut would be democratic" he said
because the burden of national do.
tense would fall equally upon all citi-
zens. 1t would make it impossible for
any man or group of men TO trade
upon the nations necessities in time
OF war. The system would be reliable
because it would produce each wear
the number of men necessary to be
trained. 1t would be economical he
cause 1T would be based upon recocni.
tion by the people of the duty of the
individual TO render personal service
and in carrying 1t into effect the gov.
eminent would not have to compete in
the labor market. 1t would he aai