Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-04
NEED MILLION MEN
SHOULD WAR COME
Gen. Hugh L. SCOTS View of
Army Required for Ma
tons Defense.
EXCEPTIONS ARE TAKEN
TO s0-cALLED HAY BILL
Chief Of staff Discusses War Depart.
ment Plans for Preparedness Be-
fore House Committee.

Additional statements as to War De.
partment plans were presented to the
House military committee today by
Maj. Gen. Hugh, L. Scott chief of STAFF,
who pointed out that in the so-called
Hay bill the plan to bring the regular
army up to 100000 men without Great
ing additional regiments did not meet
with the approval of army officers It
was desirable from every military point
Of view. Gen. Scott said, to organize the
army on the basis of tactical divisions
and to do this additional regiments
should be authorized to. give the con-
templated divisions proper proportions
Of infantry, artillery and cavalry.
Revised drafts of the War Depart
ment plan were submitted by Gen. Scott
to carry out recommendations of the
War College division of the general
staff.
Urges Extension Of Detail System.
Gen. Scott urged the extension Of the
present detail system for staff depart
ments. insuring interchangeable sery-
ice for officers, in the line and staff.
Only the judge advocate general and
the chief Of ordnance should be in any
degree permanent in tenure Of Office,
he said.
Gen. Scott told the committee that the
best military policy. is universal mill
tary training; that the first draft in
case Of war would be men between the
ages of eighteen and thirty five. and
a defense of any duration, in the event
of war, by an army of less than 1,000,-
900 men.
army of $4,000 men in time Of peace
in the event of Congress providing q
continental army and that there should
be trained in peace time 100000 men of
a citizen army. He urged the adop-
ton Of a plan of a continental army
as an essential feature of preparedness
Officers Aiding in Manufacture.
Employment of retired army officers
by munitions manufacturers was dis
cussed.
rs it true" asked Representative Lit
tlepage Of West Virginia, that certain
army officers are drawing pay from
the United States government and at
the same time are financially interest
ed in private munitions plants in this
country"
IT Imagine So" replied the general,
though there's nothing on file to show
it. Probably several retired officers are
employed by munitions companies
There are not many
1T is not possible for the govern
ment to manufacture SUFFICIENT NUM-
lions for its troops" added Gen. Scott.
England, France, Russia and Japan
are engaged in the manufacture of
munitions of war, but they are obliged
to come to the United States-private
enterprises-to help out their govern
ments."
Cites a Difference.
Gen. Scott, however. differentiated be-
tween engaged in sale" and in manu-
facture' Of munitions. holding that
there was no objection to a retired off,
GERS connection with munitions manu-
facture.
Representative Kahn suggested that
the fixing Of eighteen to thirty.f,ve
years as a desirable age for military
service. which Gen. Scott suggested,
would largely get the young men be-
fore they had family obligations or en-
tered on lifework, would draw out
.the idle rich" Gen. Scott said he
favored having the pending bill author
ice "a draft" If need be, in case Of war,