New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-02-01
Country Has 100000 Men
with Military Training,
General Says.
LAUDS VOLUNTEERS;
RFASSURES SENATE
Senator Nelson Proposes Five
Year Enlistment Plan to Pro-
vide 100000 Men.
Inn 1nn 1rhun. Rnre.n I

Washington. Jan. 81. W mic Lieu
tenant General Nelson A. Miles was
tcsiifying before the Senate Military
Affairs Committee to-day. Senator
Knute Nelson, Of Minnesota. surprised
Senators who have served with MIN
for years by proposing one of the most
ambitious defence programmes yet out
lined.
Senator Nelson declared that he
wanted a navy second only 70 that o;
Great Britain and a regular army of
100000 mon. kept up to full strength
an the time. with a reserve back Of 1T
Of 100000 men. Senator Nelson said
he would obtain this army by provd-
ing for five year cnlistments, with tho
understanding that man should only
serve with the colors for one year. and
FOR the remaining four years should
belong to the reserves.
This plan, Nh Nelson pointed out
as soon rs il had been in operation for
FIVE years would give the country al
army available almost az once. and GER
+ainlv with an excellent military train
ing. Of 100000 men. As each year
passed. the actual number Of men who
could be depended on in time OF troL-
bic would increase up to a certain max
imum. which would be determined by
the age Of the retired soldiers.
Would Provide 100000 Men.
Not only would these million men
he available after the plan had been IN
effect. for instance. for fifteen years,
hut a large percentage Of the 100000
men who had been put through the mill
I'm the first ten years. Senator Nelson
declared that ne believed his plan for
one wear with the colors would result
in so many applications for enlistment
that il would be no trouble at all for
the government 20 maintain the 2OO.OUO
ron I'm the army. despite the TACT that
il would mean the enlistment OF that
many every wear He also insisted that
conditions for the enlisted men should
be made attractive and that an oppor-
tunitv should be opened for men who
made good in the ranks 10 obtain COM
missions.
Geno-al Miles Scouts Invasion.
General Miles surprised the commit
tee hv scouting the idea Of a successful
invasion of this country. After the
testimony OF General Wood and other
officers who have pointed out no"
oasil. am enemy could accomplish tnis'
General Miles did not find D. easy 10
convince the committee he was mo,
orcrconfdcnf General Miles leaned
strongly to the volunteer plan. saying
ID has always been easy for TINS gov
eminent TO obtain all the volunteers
necessary.
wasn't it necessary TO draft soldiers
i'm the Civil War in which you served
inquired Chairman Chamberlain or
the committee.
General Miles smilngly admitted
that il certainly had been.
A plan for q regular army Of loO,OoV
men. with sufficient officers for force
Of 100000 soldiers. so that the army
could be expanded in time OF need 10
that number without making use OF
Green officers. was outlined by General
Niles He stated there were now IN
the country 100000 men who had had
military training. and were of serVicea-
ble are lie would divide the regular
army into niuety-seven infantry re@i-
merts. twenty Of field artillery, twenty
If coast artillery and eighteen Oil caNe
afrv lie would have tOta. oil .VOV
c,icers for this army. 10 permit OF the
0,.pansion IF the skeleton orgahl.a-- ~
An infantry regiment, he said, should
consist OF 1000 men in time OF peace
bat be recruited right up TO 9'VOO men
for war. volunteers preferably with
some military training being put IN
with the trained regulars. four gun
batteries would constitute regiment
of field artillery in time OF peace,
which could be run up to eight gun
batteries for war on the same prlH-
Ciple.
In an earnest plea for full regiments,
and putting the volunteers who came
after the first line into the regiments
already formed instead Of organizing
new regiments, General Miles cited
tbot i'm the Civil War every general
vas clad TO hear the news that he was
being sent Wisconsin regiment
That state he said, was the only
Ole 10 follow the plan of sending aG-
Cuonal men continually TO the old
REGIMENTS. instead OF raising new ones,
So that when a general got Niscon-
sin regiment he knew he was getting
a regiment, and not company
To Federalize Militia.
Brigadier General Crowder, Judge
Advocate General Of the army, exam
iueG by the committee on legal as
meets Of federalzing the National
Guard. said IT, involved questions on
which the courts never had passed
General Miles was questioned by every
member of the House committee, and
the trend Of his examination seemed
10 indicate that "a majority OF the com
m:tttemen preferred liberalization Of
the militia 10 the continental army
scheme.
Brigadier General Mills, chief Of the
militia division Of the War Depart
ment, declared TO the House Military
T.... .Lo4 n Fodo~alfged ro;1;.so