South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-01-20
COAST LINE NOW
OPEN TO ATTACKS
Maj. Gen. Wood Tells Senate
Committee Ocean is No
Protection.
Associated Press Service

the coast line Of the United States
was open 10 attack by any well or
ganized foreign army, despite its
equipment OF forts. mines and sub
marines and that the oceans formed
no serious barrier 10 invasion. He
declared that in the country's pres
ent state Of utter unpreparedness for
war. a trained force OF 10000 men
could inflict incalculable damage be-
fore an army could be assembled to
meet it,
Events Of the European war clear
Is demonstrated, the general said,
that the sea was the best medium for
the movement Of troops. and he
pointed out that a force Of 10000
men. fully equipped had been landed
at Gallipoli from a single expedition
OF 9S ships. against submarines.
mines and an underwater screen Of
bari eG wire that fringed every avail
abb landing place.
Says u. :. Only Ready Once.
Emphasizing his conviction that
! troops cannot be imprOvised To meet
regulars. Gen. Wood declared the
| fundamental basis OF any policy Of
adequate national defense must be
the principle that with suffrage goes
an obligation for military service.
Such "A policy had been advocated by
George Washington, he said. and if il
had been adopted, Canada would
have become a part OF the United
States in the war Of 1912.
only once in our history have we
been prepared for war" he added.
THAT was Immediately after the
Civil war, when we had a million and
half trained soldiers. Our diplO-
matte correspondence with France
concerning Mexico was very brief.
1t required only one note because of
our preparedness They were told TO
get out and they got out.
There is not going To be any
weakness abroad after this war is
over. You will find that more male
children will have been born than
have been killed or injured. You
will have all the gold, perhaps, but
it will not do you much good unless
you stiffen it with iron"
Urges Force of 10000 Regulars.
AS to the immediate needs of the
regular army Gen. Wood expressed
the opinion that the force of reg
ulars with the colors should be
maintained at 10000. OF this he
said, 10000 equipped and supplied
for a years time should be kept liz
the Philippines. another 10000 in
Hawaii and 10. 600 at Panama. He
urged that the regulars should have
a reserve system under which in a
six year enlistment men would be
discharged whenever their company
commanders reported them as eff
cient into a reserve, TO be definitely
assigned TO war stations. Equip
ment for members of the reserve
would be kept at their stations and
once every two years they would be
required 10 join the cOlors for 10
! days training 10 keep them up to
date
Gen. Wood said that if universal
military service was not TO be OBJ
| tanned. he favored a continental
army scheme substantially as pro-
posed by the war department. pro-
vided lit is absolutely divorced from
the organized militia"
Ridiculc's GarrisOn's Report.
The increases for the regular army
proposed by Secy Garrison, however,
/ he characterized as IAN absurdity.
inadequate and indicating a failure
to appreciate the lessons of the Eu-
ropean war" particularly as to the
proportion OF field artillery. He rec
commended that proportion of field
guns be fixed at five TO every 1000
rifles or sabres. The present army
standard is 80 per thousand. al
though in actual equipment the reg
ulars are nearer two per thousand.
I The board recently created in the
war department has fixed on SO
per thousand as the number neces-
sary.
Reverting To the condition OF the
country TO face war with a first
class power. the general said the
I United States was utterly unprepared
and knew nothing of the problems
il would have TO meet. At least p
100000 men would be needed. he de
clared and they could be obtained.
.
vice. At present there was but 100
goo modern rifles and 300. 600 old
model weapons in government ar
senals. he said. and up TO five days
ago the capacity Of all American
plants 10 produce rifles was only
$4,000 n lay England alone. he
said wanted $1,000 a day while
France called Tor two rifles in re-
serve for every man in the held.
Holds Militia Hopeless.
Gen. Wood was positive in declar-
ing the militia was composed of a
fine personnel. but cursed By hope
less system.
Unless il could be taken over by
the government and absolutely sew
cred from any connection with the
states. ne said. il should be aban-
doned 10 the states entirely. and not
a dollar OF government money wasted
upon il.
we should terminate the intol-
cradle system" he declared. The
soldier element of the militia all
want liberalization. No man who
refuses TO come into the continental
army is 10 be depended upon"