Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-12-07

military academy and the naval acad
| Cmy the study of military science
and incidentally these schools woull
fdrnish great body of men return
ing to civil life fitted by trainini
either to respond in an emergency t
a call to the colors or to take thei
! places as civil soldiers in the serve,
of the government in those ndustrie
and undertakings fundamental to th'
successful conduct Of military opera
| tons.
THE suggestion here made ough
| not perhaps to. be further elaborated
! in this report, but I think it will b,
| apparent on reflection that no eX
! penditure in contemplation OF a grea'
| military emergency would be more
! apt or helpful than one which gave
to $4,000 or 10000 young men The
| inspiration Of industrial education al
! the hands of the government, indoc.
trinated them with the spirit of ser.
| vice to their country, and tabulatec
| them so that they would be always
available for either the military OF
industrial service which their aca'
| demic experience indicated most II
| accordance with their aptitudes"
Reviews Mobilization.
Mr.. Baker calls attention to the
/ fact that he did not take office until
March 3, 1916, succeeding General
| Scott who was secretary ad interim
| after the resignation of Secretary
| Garrison. He reviews briefly the
| history of affairs on the Mexican
border beginning with the raid on
Columbus, New Mexico, and carrying
il forward to November goth, the date
of the report. On that day, he says
there are still 10000 officers and
! men of the national guard on the Dor
der in addition to approximately 49,
coo members of the regular army.
Under the sub-headng, THE Pres
ent Situation" the reCort continues;
The mere presence of this enlarg-
ed force has served to preserve peace
and protect life and property Dis
turbanCes by outlaws and bandits in
northern Mexico have continued and
rowing bands of various numbers have
moved through the territory, harrass-
ing Mexican forces and raiding Mex
lean communities but they have not
ventured an attack upon the people
Of the United States. In the mean
time the militia forces on the border
have been drilled their organizations
perfected, and their personnel accus-
toned to life in camp in the perform
ance of this defensive duty"
The report goes at some length in
to the odd situation which was pre-
scented when the national guard was
summoned for border duty. Reor-
ganization of the force under the ma
pf n
but not completed at the time, Mr.
Baker says and many complex pro-
blems had to be solved.
THE confusions and difficulties at
tending the mobilization" he contin-
ues, will seem insignificant in COM
parison with its success and with the
splendid spirit with which men ana
officers of the national guard re-
sponded."
Test for State Troops.
The secretary points out that the
duty to which the state troops were
called was the most trying a soldier
could be required to perform, lacking
the movement and enthusiasm of ac-
tive military operations yet present
ing all the privations of a soldiers
life.
1T is not strange that some rest
lessness and complaint have been
heard both from an occasional mem
Der of one of the guard forces and
from their friends at home" he said.
"These complaints, however, have
been minor and infrequent. The spir-
it of the regiments has been high
their service cheerful and their APP
probation both of their opportunity
for public service ana of the value of
the training received by them has
been evidenced from all quarters"
The report discusses at length what
was accomplished by the war depart
ment through cooperation with the
American Railway association in the
rapid transportation of troops and
supplies to the Mexican border. De-
Claring the movement was carried
out without any serious confusion or
delay Secretary Baker said;
1T seems to me just to claim for
the war department and for the CO. |
operating railroads that they manag-. !
ed the task, although Of unusual diff .
ficulty and size, with great skill and
most eommendable success
Recruiting Not satisfactory.
Some disappointment is expressed /
over the situation as to recruiting Tor !
the army. While the number or |
men accepted every month for army |
service has increased since last year.
'it has not been as marked an IN ,
crease as desired" the secretary says
High wages and scarcity of labor are
cited as responsible.
Thus the recruiting service when
Is simply one of many employers, mas 7
been unable to secure the recruits
needed, the report continues. How
ever, during June, July and August
1916, the number of enlistments IN
creased practically 175 per cent over
the corresponding months in 1919.
The report shows that on June 80,
1916, the authorized total strength OF
the regular army was 5,OlS ottcers
and 1888 enlisted men, an IN
crease of 1874 officers and 25,445 men
over the preceding year The actual
strength on that date was 4,84S Off
GERS and 97,01S enlisted men or net
gain during the year of 227 otticers
md 124S men.
Analysing the national defense act
he report finds that the maximum
enlisted peace strength authorized IS
213i580, while the war strength
would reach total Of 29S,000. The
strength of the national guard con-
.emplated by the bill is fixed at H.
600 officers and 440,00 men, but
he report says nothing as to the
prospect of enlisting enough men to
i'll up either service.