Evening star., 1916-01-02

maintenance charge would be vast
| Unless your first line is to be wholly
regulars. it seems foolish to me to
| spend vast sums merely to provide a
| comparatively few more regulars in 1t.
| What makes our army cost SO much
| THE American standard of living
and the fact that we pay for service!
| Can that standard be maintained
and pay kept as it is and any great
| economics effected such as has been
| asserted"
'I have never been able to see how.
Pay, for instance, comprises SO per
cent of the total, transportation 10
per cent. subsistence. say 10 per cent;
plies. say per cent. These are not ac-
curate, but sufficiently so for present
purposes. There is no corruption
whatever in army contracts We are
| economies wherever possible. We buy
as low, if not lower, than civil estab-
| lishments and the results are control
led by facts which cannot be altered II
American standards of living are to be
maintained.
THE American army costs what it
does. not because Of extravaganza or
carelessness or corruption. but because
| all American citizens, in or out of the
| army, insist on living upon scale
in comparison with similar living else
where"
How Money Is to Be Used.
You provided for the expenditure of
s104.000.000 in the next four years for
reserve material. What would that
buy"
That will buy all the clothing, per-
sonal equipment. rifles, field guns, am
munition and everything else that
ought to be on hand upon the outbreak
of war for the forces called for by the
policy"
And how about the sso,ooo,oo odd
that you provide for the coast defense
the expenditure to be spread over the
next four years."
This sum will accomplish every
thing recommended by the board of
reVlew-a board having for its func-
tlons the consideration of all matters
OF defense and armament of our har-
bors and consisting of the chief Of
stan of the army, the assistant chief
OF stan, the President of the Army
the chief of coast artillery and the
chief of ordnance"
What will be the total cost of the
program. Mr.. Secretary
In round numbers. the first year
$1S2 100000, the second year s212. 900. 900
and the third and fourth years $685.
600. 1000, and thereafter when the system
is in full working order s1S2.0O0.000 a
year"
DO you consider that the program
provides an adequate treatment of the
grave problem of strengthening the
land defenses of the United States?"
i think that the system is the very
best that can be devised, taking into
consideration the fact that the volun-
teer principle must be depended upon.
II the program is enacted. for the first
time in the history of the country will
the military forces of the nation be
placed in control of the nation.
Force Ready for Field.
For the first time. in time of peace.
will considerable force of men have
been organized, equipped, of1cered,
partly trained and made ready instantly
to take the field. supplied with every
article necessary for their maintenance
in the field. In time of peace our Off
GERS will have had the training and
the handling of large bodies, and in
time of war a partly trained force of
half million men will be ready to
instantly take the field, backed up by
nearly an equal number of men liable
FOR military service to supply wastage.
The only way the system can possibly
idea of compulsion.
My recommendations and those of
the War College division of the gen.
eral staff are identical in principle and
ed large increase in the regular army
"a fuller equipment in the way of
horses, transportation. etc, of the con-
tinental army, and more men in the
continental army than 1 felt wise to
recommend. There were other similar
matters of detail in which my recon-
mendations differed from theirs, but
nowhere in respect to anything basic
or fundamental. 1t is surely the duty
of an executive. If he is to function at
to oh tot Ill L.
Information he could consider, and
then make the wisest decision he can
reach. He must. If he is acting prop
erly. consider all sides and every as
pect of the question. If the matter is
one susceptible only of mathematical
or other similar scientific settlement,
then he obtains that and that settles it.
but If 1t is one compounded. as almost
all questions of craftsmanship are, of
many elements he must take the re-
sponsibility of properly considering all
such elements and reaching a wise,
justifable and effective solution
have taken that responsibility, as
should have done. / have recommended
what l think is right and proper under
all the circumstances. 1t is much
easier to criticise than to construct
much easier to suggest a betterment
here and change there than to at
tempt to weld many different elements
into a workable whole. have no pride
feeling of personal resentment or dis
tress at failure to agree with and sup
port what / believe necessary. do,
however. feel intensely that something
right, and proper, sensible and ade-
quate. should be done. and done
promptly; and I do think the most ef-
fective way to accomplish those ends
is to stand back of and put through the
proposals made by the department rec
commended to Congress by the Presi-
dent and capable of being Immediately
embarked upon when Congress has
acted.
"If the energy seeking good results is
scattered 1t will be wasted and moth
ing worth while will be accomplished
If it is concentrated back of the con-
crete policy recommended it cannot fail
of effect. ! earnestly hope that wise
counsels will prevail"
WnIINnEn RUSSIAN DIES