The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-01-06
Before the Military Committee
Of the House and Gives
Long Explanation.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6.-Secretar,
Garrison laid before the House mill
tary affairs committee today his for
mai argument in behalf OF the ad
ministration's army plan which II
designed to give the country de
finite military policy. II proposes
the creation Of a mobile federal force
of more than million men In si'
years. accumulation OF a huge re-
serve of ammunition and equipment
and elaborate extension OF the coas
defenses, the whole project involving
an increased expense OF s6Oo.Ooo,
900 and an annual war department
budget thereafter OF more than $780,
600 900 as compared with an aver
age Of 100000, 900 for the last few
years.
1.-THE integrity of the nation ant
Its very existence" the secretar,
said. reading from a lengthy state
ment he had prepared. may depend
upon what Is done In this matter a
this time. This great opportunity
will be lost unless wise, sensible
and practical policy is the result oil
the consideration and action Of this
Congress.
Referring to the farspread mill
tary responsibilities OF the nation
reaching into the insular possessions
China, Alaska and the Panama Canal
zone, Mr.. Garrison added:
I'VE have determined and an
nounced that the sovereignty Of the
other republics on this hemisphere
shall remain inviolable, and must
therefore, at all times stand ready
to make good our position in this
connection"
| He then quoted figures to show the
full strength Of the army on June 80
last-105.993 officers and men Of the
combatant forces, and their present
distribution. To these should be
added, he said, 1,1SS officers ant
l17,S1S men OF the non-combatant
arms Of the service, bringing the
total number Of federal troops up to
fi106,619. He pointed out that the
item Of pay alone made up approxi-
Irmately fifty per cent Of the total
proposed appropriations.
The United States including Alaska
said the secretary. Is Of greater area
than the combined total OF Austro-
Hungary, Belgium, the British Isles,
Bulgaria, Denmark. France Germany.
Greece, Italy. Japan, Portugal, Rus
STA In Europe, Spain and Turkey In
Europe, the total Of these areas rep
resenting only nlnety-seven per cent
Of that of the United States.
ut will be of necessity" he added,
"be conceded by anyone who admits
that military force Is requisite at all
that our present military force Is
totally inadequate to meet our res
possibilities.
THE chaos which crisis always
produces where preparations in adj
vance have not been made, makes 1t
certain that several months OF neces-
sity would intervene after the out
break Of war before any considerable
number Of volunteers would be ready
to take their training, and months
OF training must then ensue before
they could be ready to be sent into
battle.
"A similar delay would meet the
effort to assemble arms, equipment
and ammunition, Mr.. Garrison said,
and he insisted that II 1t accomplish
ed nothing more, the plan now pro-
posed would obyiate much Of this
loss Of time. Il
There is a disposition upon the
part Of some," ne continued, ito as
sumo that we are facing a crisis. The
only way to meet any emergency Is
by adopting emergency measures. The
personnel and material needed for
military purposes should be imme-
diately modified. Every nerve
should be strained, and every re-
source drawn upon. and nothing over
looked necessary to preserve and de-
fend US, regardless, Of cost and Of
other considerations.
I'm my view the occasion calls for
the adoption Of wise, sensible, ade-
quate military policy, on permanent
lines and for definite ends.
There is common agreement among
those who have s,udred the subject
Iintelligently that we should have a
force In the continental United
States OF 500, 1000 men subject to In
slant call.
Modern warfare, while 1t has de-
monstrated the increased use Of me.
chanical instruments Of war, has also
demonstrates the increased use Of
numbers. In addition, therefore, to
those with the colors subject to In
slant call, there should be at all
times In the country large numbers
OF men available, by reason OF pre-
vious service, for military purposes.
Our immediate problem, there
fore, seems to be how shall wesmeet
these requirements?
The adjutant general after most
careful consideration Of the whole
subject matter and personal attention
thereto, reaches the conclusion that
he cannot expect, under present con-
ditions, to recruit more than $4,000
men per year for the army II would
therefore, seem impracticable IN the
last degree 10 consider that the
problem can be solved by providing
for 4 standing army Of the size neces.
snfy FOR this solution.
''5s'I do not Ia any share the fear