New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-02
Scrapping Preparedness.

lngton say that the COnfcrrees on the army
reorganization bill nave practically agreed
TO limit the peace strength of the army to
10000 men. Such a compromise. if ac-
cepted by the two houses would blast the
hopes of those who have been working for
a real measure Of military reorganization
for the creation Of a standing peace
force which should serve as the nucleus
and training school Of a real army.
II such makeshift comes out of con
ference committee and goes through Con
gress it Will mean victory for the watch
full walters. for Mr.. Wilson and for Mr..
Hay. for the enemies of military efficiency
and the advocates Of pork barrel pre-
paredness.
The House Of Representatives fixed the
peace strength of the regular army at
100000. The Senate raised it to $50, 600
an 'irreducible minimum. according to the
view of the General staff experts whose
business it is TO pass upon our military
necessities.
If the Senate conferrees now permit the
peace strength to be cut to 100000 they
viii have conceded much more than the
House conferrecs were willing 10 concede
(thc arithmetical mean between 100000
and 100000 being $4,000, not 10000.
They will also have sacrificed something
far more important than mere differen-
tial i'm numbers. They will have aban-
doned the principle that in war and prep
Narration for war certain absolute and def
tc standards must be accepted-that
pmcthing inadequate cannot be subst-
tuted for something adequate. something
shoddy for something real. without run
ring head on against certain disaster.
The same old attempt to throw dust in
the eyes of the public is made in the an
nouncement that the peace strength of
10000 can be converted, under the terms
Of the compromise, into a war strength of
100000. That is a mere trap for the
thoughtless. If we should get into real
war the strength of the army would have
TO be raised at once not to 100000 but
to 100000 1t would be absolutely i'm
material whether or not there was an out
standing authorization for an increase of
regulars from 10000 to 100000 The
one controlling fact is that our army's ca
pacity to expand in war time must be-
based absolutely on its peace strength.
And a peace strength Of 100000 cannot
furnish a broad enough basis on which to
build an adequate war organization.
With 10000 men we should still be
short Of cadres with which to create an
adequate mobile army. We should not be
able TO organize the necessary number Of
divisions for tactical uses. We should
not be able TO distribute the mobile
forces so as TO protect our coast lines.
We should be short of trained officers,
! especially i'm the higher grades, and the
officers we had would be without practical
| experience in handling large bodies Of
| troops under the conditions which prevail
u&>1 odern warfare. Our army would still
near army, a toy army-better than
one we have now. but unequal to the
which would fall to it in case war
a first class power should come.
must be remembered that the Hay bill
he Chamberlain bill were both drawn
be theory that our military response
es would soon be decreased by the re-
shment of American sovereignty
the Philippines. If the Philippine
pn were TO be withdrawn, our mobile
I'm Continental United States could
eased by at least 1j,000-that being
the xtal assigned to the Philippines in
Secretary Garrsons estimates for a stand
ing army of 100000. If the Philippines
were to be given up, Hawaii would prob
ably not have 10 be held as strongly as it
is held now.
Such calculations undoubtedly influenced
the minds of the Democratic leaders re-
sponsible for the framing Of the Hay and
Chamberlain bills. But there is little
prospect now that the Infamous scheme Of
turning the Philippines over to native
misgovernment will ever ripen. We shall
need many more men i'm the Philippines
II We intend TO hold them indefinitely. Any
army reorganization which counts the
J philippines out Of our military problems
is therefore irrational and defective.
This fact is recognized even by the most
ardent advocates Of scJttlng from the
Philippine. Yesterday, while the news
was being given out i'm Washington that
tho conferrces on the military rcorganza
Ton bill would agree 10 peace limit for
the army Of 10000. Mr.. Jones' of Nir-
g'nia. was arguing I'm the House Of Rep
resentatives that if the Clarke amendment
TO the Philippine bill was rejected the
United States would he bound in honor toI
provide an adequate defence for the Phil
ippines- something which it does not pro
vide now and could not provide with an
army peace establishment limited TO 49,
600 men.
The reported army bill compromise Is a
mere counsel Of political cowardlce. IT.