Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-01-20
WOOD FAVORS
10000 men in
HAWAII POSTS
Former Chief of Staff Tells
Committee Sec. GarriSon'S
Plans Are Inadequate
FAV0RS COMPULSORY
SERVICE FOR CITIZENS
Praises Militia Personnel, But
Declares Unit tcurSed BY
Hopeless System"

WASHINGTON. ID. G., Jan. 20. -
Mai gen. Leonard A. Wood, command
ing the Eastern Department, former
chief of staff, testifying before the
senate committee on military affairs,
which is considering the administra-
tion's bill for military preparedness,
said that the "increase In the armed
forces OF the nation proposed by Sec
rotary Garrison is absurdedly made
quate in view Of the necessities.
Gen. Wood stated that at the pre-
sent time the American coasts lie
open 10 successful attack, despite the
forts, the mine fields and the subma-
rines provided for their defense In the
event OF a defeat of the navy and the
securing OF the command of the sea
by an enemy. The oceans, he said, Of
fer no serious barriers TO an invasion.
Easors conseription.
The basis OF the defense policy Of
the United States should be, he said,
established on o principle that an OBJ.
legation 10 serve the nation In a mill
tary way accompanies the right TO
exercise the franchise.
Present plans for the increase In.
strength of the regular army
should aim at an establishment OF not
fewer than 10000 men, OF whom 20
900 should be kept as a garrison Tor
the Hawaiian Islands, 10000 in the
Philippines and $1,000 to garrison the
posts guarding the Panama canal,
leaving $4,000 for the mainland Unit
ed States.
Gen. Wood agreed with Secretary
Garrison that there should be force
OF federal militia distinct from the
national guards OF the various states,
a force on the lines Of the proposed
continental army, over which the fed
eral government would have undisput.
"a Jurisdiction. In many other res
poets, however, the general disagreed
radically with the secretary OF war.
t3ss Good Word for Militia
Gen. Wood praised the splendid per-
sonnet OF the militia of the various
states, but declared that 1t could not
be incorporated In q general scheme
OF defense because II Is cursed by a
hopeless system"
Elaborating his statement that the
right to vote k,sould include an oDiiga-
ton to serve the nation in military
way. Gen. Weed stated that the ctti-
Gems must realize that all ought to be
liable for duty, as war would make
Il necessary for the United States TO
raise and put into the field a force OF
not fewer than 100000 men. At the
presenf time, to secure that many,
compulsion would have to be resorted
10. as only through q system OF con-
scription could an army OF that size
be raised.
The American navy today stands
fourth, he said. Great Britain stands
first Germany is second and Japan Is
third in naval strength.
Gen. Wood pointed to the fact that
the belligerent nations in Europe are
today buying thousands of Lewis ma
chine guns, a weapon invented by an
American army officer but turned
down by the ordnance bureau OF the
war department because the weapons
which had been secured by the bureau
for testing turned out to have been
Of faulty material. The
weapons we're never tested as to their
efficacy.