The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-07

! military science; and incidentally,
these schools would furnish a great
body of men returning to civil life
ntted by training either to respond In
an emergency to call to the colors
or TO take their places as civil SOL
diers In the service of the govern
ment In those industries and under
takings Fundamental to the success
ful conduct Of military operations"
Mr.. Bakers report covers only the
period of his administration. from
last March, when he succeeded Lind
ley Nj. Garrison, who resigned from
President Wilson's Cabinet when the
administration withdrew it's support
OF Mr.. Garrison's plan for CONT
mental army.
AS the administrations army policy
was embodied In the National Defense
Act and the other army measures en-
acted by the last Congress. it was
not expected that Mr.. Baker would
recommend many radical changes.
His report Is confined almost entirely
10 a review of events and develop
ments affecting the War Department
since last March.
The National Defense Act, which
became a law at the last session of
Congress, would enlarge the army
through five annual increments The
authorized strength Of the army on
June 80 last was 5.01s officers and
I22, s93 enlisted men. while the actual
strength was asa officers and 97,013.
enlisted men.
Army Largely Increased.
When all OF the tncrements au-
thorized have been added, the army
viii comprise, in peace time. approx
mately $4,000 enlisted men and H. /
500 officers This force in time of
war could he expanded to approx |
nately 2Ss.ooo enlisted men, Tue
tlonal Guard is depended upon to /
furnish an additional 441. geo men and !
1000 officers
The events leading up TO the dis !
patch Of General Pershing's force |
INTO Mexico and the mobilization of |
he National Guard on the border are |
,eviewed AT length The lesson dem
onstrated by the transportation of |
the troops to the Mexican frontier is
hat the railroads of the United States
we're built in response to commercial |
rather than military needs.
Very little thought says the re-
port, has been given in our rail-
road development to their possible
Use for military purposes. We have
1uilt no strategic railroads, our
rontiers have been neglected as pos
ibte scenes of military operations.
nj there has accordingly been little
r no railroad building which had as
"a object a possible call upon the
of the country rapidly to
large bodies OF men and to
continuous streams of mill
airy supplies for their support
Attention again Is called to the fact
hat recruiting for the army Is diff
cult. and while 1t is stated that this
; due TO several causes. Mr.. Baker
avs The first and probably the
cause is the present labor
ondit!on throughout the country. Re
ruiting officers from all sections re-
'ort that never in their experience
as there been the demand for labor
n all lines OF industry that exists
nd that has existed for the past sew
raj months
ANY suggestion of compulsory mill
AIRY service, such as was mentioned
" Secretary Garrison in his last an
iual report year ago. is entirely
acking in the Baker report. Mr.. Gar
-ison's declaration that the failure
# the continental army plan would
Indicate that compulsory service must
70 resorted to in some form. led army
,tficers Of all grades TO advocate COM
)ulsory service openly. After Mr..
Tiarrisons retirement il became
Known that the expression of such
was not welcome and ii
s unlikely that any officers will vol
lnteer advice along those lines at the
forthcoming hearings at the Capitol.