The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1916-02-02
UNITED STATES
AN EASY MARK
For the Warfare OF An
Enemy Nation.
A 100000 FOE COULD LAND
Here In Less Than Thirty
DayS-Wealth Of Ma.
ton Is Menace.
NAVY Is IN NEED OF STRENGTH

Washington, Jan. 29.-The posi-
ton of the United States in a warn
torn world was described to the,
House Military Committee by Maj
Gen. Leonard Wood as like that of
"a ship at sea, with typhoon signals
coming from many directions"
I'VE are living in an era of war;
he said, land gradually are accumu-
lating most of the troubles of the
world"
Gen. Wood, who appeared at the
committees hearing on the army in
crease bills, repeated in the main the
testimony he previously had given
before the Senate Military Commit
tee. He said it would take an army
of a million and half to hold line
from Boston south. Should condi-
lions at the close of the war in Eu-
rope invite attack, he declared, any
of the more powerful of the bellig-
erents could land 100000 men on
American soil in less than thirty
days.
A regular army of 100000, fully
trained and always under arms, with
at least 100000 reserves behind
them, should be provided, he urged,
to meet this situation. The United
States navy he classed as fourth in
fighting efficiency, and declared it
could not maintain control of the
sea or defend the coasts.
"The continental army is merely
a stop-gap and a makeshlft," he
said. 81 believe the National Guard
has done all it can do under rotten
system. Put the regular army in
the National Guards position to-day
and the army would deteriorate."
While Gen. Wood and Col. Edwin
F. Glenn, chief of staff of the De-
partment of the East, We're testifying
before the House and Senate Mill
tary committees, respectively, Rear
<Aumli N. -. VII liihs thitI Cht5ihNtl
of the navy, told the House Naval
Committee, considering navy in
creases, of the mechanical ills to
which submarines are heir and of
the problem of finding suitable en-
gines for battleships and destroyers.
Admiral Griffin said he believed
no foreign Power was outstripping
the United States in naval design,
and that type for type, American
craft was as efficient as any afoat.
To show the condition of American
submarines he read a report stating
that each had done from 1000 to
1900 miles of surface cruising, and
several hundred miles submerged
last year. Their engines were avail
able for duty approximately 800
days out of the year, he added.
Members of the committee asked
for detailed information about the
Neff system of submarine propul-
sion, which does away with electric
storage batteries and their dangers
by use of Oil engines both on the
surface and submerged. The de-
partment has asked for 100000 to
test the system. Admiral Griffin
said two objections urged against
1t were that the noise of the motor
might reveal a submersible to enemy
ships equipped for underwater sig
mailing. and that the engine exhaust
might create a wake of bubbles,
discovery easy.
Col. Glenn told the Senate COM
mittee the United States would be
powerless to resist an in
vasion of any first-class enemy The
wealth of the nation. he said. had be-
come a greater menace as the needs
Of potential enemies became greater.