Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1916-01-22
SCOTT AND BLISS
BACK GARRISON'S
ARMY PROGRAM
Favor Continental Scheme.
Discourage Volunteer Sys-
tenn as inadequate.

WASHINGTON. Jan. o. -Unqualf.
fed support was given Secretary Gar
risons continental army plan before
the Senate military committee yes.
terduy by Major-General Scott and
Major Bliss respectively
chief and assistant chief of staff oi
the army. Both amplified statements
made on the same subject last week
before the House committee.
General Scott declared the plan
would save AT least five months time
in The building up Of an army of de
fense in a war emergency. He ad-
Vocated immediate organization of =
reserve corps of officers actually com
missioned and assigned TO the posts
they would take in time of war.
General Scott urged also that a
uartermasters' reserve corps of en-
listed men be formed. to include
mechanics of all kinds. telegraphers
radio operators, motor vehicle drivers
and experts, teamstefs, railway men
and the like. A representative of the
American legion had told him recent
ly that $1,000 men of this sort had
been listed by the organization who
We're willing to enlist in such a corps.
Both of the generals expressed the
bDilibn lllH Univ tlSd1 IIlIllldlA SER
vice was the only ideal democratic"
method of building up an army.
but they thought the country would
not tolerate the proposal now. Cen
eral Bliss said il was only talked of
by army officers as an academic ques-
tion on this account.
100000 the Minimum.
Discussing the detail of the various
bills under consideration, General
Bliss said that proposed by the War
Department was the only one which
satisfactory or to contem-
plate a definite policy. The war col
lege division of the general staff. he
said has fixed 100000 men, more or
less trained. as the irreducible mini
mum necessary for the country's
sa fety in the first shock of war.
The proposal to increase the reGu-
lar army to 100000. as suggested in
Senator Chamberlain tentative bill,
he added. was wholly inadequate by
itself Moreover, he added, it was
impossible to recruit larger force
than 100000 men, as proposed by Sec
retary Garrison for the regular
army, without increasing pay or 9th
erwise giving added inducements.
lie read a report from the adiut-
dHl-StltIdl uttldIlllS lldl II Nbulu
be impossible to recruit even 200 900
men in peace times and that the
average maximum force that could
be maintained was only 122,0 900. Re-
cruits now cost the government 800
a man, delivered to their regiments,
the general said. He disapproved
short enlistment terms to build up a
regular reserve. saying this would
make it necessary to recruit 200,00
or more men annually.
War College Not Consulted.
Discussing the continental army
plan, General Bliss said it contem-
plated 246 batteries of artillery which
alone would be worth all that may
be expended. The day had passed
when field guns are manuevered to
any extent, he said, and no cOnsid-
Grafton need be given to the question
Of providing horses for the guns.
Questioning both witnesses. Chair
man Chamberlain brought out the
statement that the bill prepared by
Secretary Garrison had never been
submitted to the war college division
of the general staff. General Scott
pointed out. however. that the con-
mental plan had been approved by
the war college in it's reports to the
secretary.