The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-02-06
MILES
FOR SKELETON
ARMY
Could Be Increased to $4,000.
without the Addition Of
Any New Units.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5.-National
~guardsmen appeared before the House
naval and military affairs committees
at the continuation this week Of the
hearings on the administrations ma
tional defense program. F,
Those testifying included members
of the executive committee OF the ma
tional guard and smany other state
officers.
The status Of the national guard in
any preparedness plan to be worked
out by the present Congress was dis
cussed in detail by witnesses.
Brigadier General Miles, chief OF the
militia division of the war department,
declared a federalized militia would
be the best foundation on which to
build the proposed continental army
and Brigadier General Crowder, Judge
advocate general of the army, exam
ined on legal aspects of liberalization,
said it involved questions on which the
courts never had passed.
Skeleton Army.
Other witnesses included Lieuten-
ant General Nelson A. Miles, who told
the senate committee the country
should have a'standing army Of 10000
in peace times, so organized as to form
the skeleton Of an army that could be
recruited to a total of $4,000 in war.
Senator Nelson, Of minnesota, a Civil
war veteran, appeared before the SEN
ate committee in advocacy OF a stand
ing army Of 100000.
General Miles was questioned by
every member Of the House commit
tee and the trend Of his examination
seemed to indicate that a majority OF
the committee preferred liberalization
Of the militia 10 the continental army;
the witness insisted that the war de-
partment had no antipathy to the ma
tional guard as such and gladly would
begin building on that basis If the legal
obstacles in the way could be removed.
To Feleralize Guard.
During General Crowder's exa1nina-
ton before the senate committee It
was suggested that the present Con
gress might take every step toward
liberalization within its legal power,
fixing training, discipline, organization
and numbers Of conditioning particle
patton in any federal appropriations
upon the fulfilling Of requirements set
by the war department..
At the same time steps might be
taken toward amending the constitu-
ton to give the federal government
power over the militia.
General Miles declared enactment
Of the continental army scheme would
not necessarily destroy the national
guard. He said several states were
opposed to any federal control over
the national guard, citing Colorado
Arizona, Texas and Montana as exam
ples. His statement brought a vigor-
Gus protest from Adjutant General
Chase, Of the Colorado national guard
who was provided a hearing later.
Mlles's Plan.
General Miles present an army plan
Of his own. His skeleton army pro-
posal contemplated sufficient recruit
ing in war time to bring up the force
to $4,000 without adding any officers
or new regiments. There would be
ninety-seyen regiments Of infantry Al
a peace strength Of 1000 men each;
twenty regiments Of field artillery on
a peace footing Of four guns to q bat
terry; twenty regiments of coast ar,
tillery, also on peace footing, aud
eighteen regiments Of cavalry. The
recruiting would bring each infantry
regiment to 5000 and each light bat,
terry to eight instead of four guns.
"There is nothing to indicate" SAID
the general, that a larger military
will be required in the near future
IL ever"
General Miles added that he was MOI
alarmed by the reported ability OF any
strong European belligerent. HE dis
approved Of any proposal for uniyer'
sal military service, declaring 'Yot
can't Germanize the American people
The witness said should greater