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


needed. he declared, and they could he
obtained, he believed only by compul-
sorry service At present there was only
100000 modern rifles and 3r,CDo old model
weapons in government arsenals, he
said. and up to five days ago the ca
pacity of all American plants to produce
rifles was only 1000 n day. England
alone, he said. wanted 5000 day.
while France called for two rifles in re
serve for every man in the field.
MILITIA NO USE NOW.
General Wood was positive in dcclar-
ing the militia was composed of Il fine
personnel, but cursed by a hopeless sys-
tem-unlcss it could be taken over by the
government and absolutely severed from
any connection with the States, he said,
it should bc abandoned to the States
entirely. and not a dollar of government
money wasted upon it,
1--WE should terminate the intOlcr-
able system" he declared. THE sol
dicr element of the militia all want
liberalization. no man who refuses
to come into the continental army is
To be depended upon
UNIVERSAL SERVICE SYSTEM
tndcr u universal service system the
general said there would be $500, 900
men between 10 and - years of age
upon whom the burden of military duty
would rest counting on only 80 per
cent Of the men at that age. lie he
.ievcd, however. that every citizen
should be held liable for some duty to
the government in case of war.
General Wood" asked Senator
Chamberlain. IAN unframed army never
could have resisted Germany in France.
could it,"
They never would have known what
hit en- answered General Wood.
OFFICERS RESERVE CORPS.
A vital factor in the present situation.
he told the committee, was the necessity
of building up an officers reserve corps.
With 10000 students in the land-grant
colleges under military training and every
important higher educational nstitut1ou
organizing officers training units. he
thought It would be an easy thing to
build up the force OF 5000 reserve Of
iicers necessary.
Asked what need there was now for
preparedness that did not exist year
ago. General Wood said there We're storm
signals on all sides and no ono knew when
The lightning would strike.
The developments of the last year,
both to the south of us and abroad" he
said, "indicatc that "" need to he Il
little better prepared. There Is nothing
concrete. Of course
L. :. NAVY FOURTH.
ON the question of coast dcfcnces, Ii" said
the present guns were able To reach a
range Of 1900 yards If mounted for a
10 degree elevation. The trouble was with
! the gun carriages, he said, which limit ed
their fire 10 1000 yards, whereas Eu.
| ropean navy craft were sinking ships
at more Than LOO yards He placed the
United States navy fourth among those
of the world powers. Great Britain. Ger
many and Japan eNcaeding it in
strength
The general said belligerent govern
ments were buying by tie tens of thou
| sands the Lewis machine gun invented
by an American officer of the coast artil-
lerN, now retired, and rejected by the ord
| nance bureau because of faulty material
used in the weapon supplied for tests
This gun. developed three years ago, he
! explained antcdated the onc-man machine
gun of the Germany army. and could h,
carried and fired in any position by n
single man. lie added that it would h,
| tested here again soon.
To show some of the work under way
ny the army. General Wood exhibited to
| the committee the confidential plans fol
the defense of Boston completed recently
after nine months of surveying and study
and including line Of defense so miles
in length and minute in detail. He sale
the civil engineers of the country wcr,
| preparing to organize n reserve corps I,
| aid in such work In future.