The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-11-16
THE EFFICIENCY or OUR ARMIES
INVOLVED

the war department, unless it is plan
ming for a short war. In no other n.y.
pothesis than confidence in an early
peace has Secretary Bakers purpose
to withdraw half the graduates of the
existing training camps to private
life a leg to stand on-and very
lame leg it is. Mr.. Baker would, of
course. deny that he had committed
himself to the conjecture of short
war His advisers in the general
staff tell him that it will be long war;
That is the opinion of the military
experts in London and Paris.
One would think that when Mr.. Ba-
ker viewed the collapse in Russia and
scanned the bulletins from the harass-
ed Italian army in retreat, he would
reverse his decision to exclude from
active duty one-half or more OF the
men of the officers training camps
who win their commissions. Their
instruction is called intensive, but it
is only the beginning of their eduac-
ton as officers, IN fact, an initial
course. They must 10 nodded in the
school of experience, first in associa-
ton with troops on the drill ground,
at the butts, and in maneuvers; then
behind the lines in France before go
ing into the trenches; and not until
they have commanded men under fire
and gone with them "over the top
will their education be complete. A
marking time in the curriculum, in
this case the disuse of their devel0p-
ing faculties while they worked month
by month for detail after the pre-
liminary course, would be so fatuous
a neglect that it is amazing the sec
rotary of war gave the project mo-
ments' consideration.
The example or england should be
warning. She began the war with
dearth of competent officers, and
the retreat from Mons cost her the
services of so many officers in Sir
John French's expeditionary force, the
first seven divisions, that leadership
of the volunteer armies looked like
a forlorn hope for the war office.
Some regiments, the very flower of the
regular army, had lost almost their
entire complement of officers. Let US
hope that the American army now in
France will never have anything like
the same experience, but it is the duty
of the war Departmental train a great
reserve of officers to fill vacancies in
the line, on the presumption that cas-
ualties will be heavy.
In April, when congress declared q
state of war with Germany, the coun-
try was told that 10000 additional Of
ficers would be needed, and seven
months later the secretary of war
seems to have lent his influence to
the suggestion that 1t would he well
to lay off half or two-thirds of the of
ficers commissioned from the autumn
training comps, and lay them off for
an indefinite period without any con-
tribution for their support Are those
who can obtain no employment to be-
come objects of charity? But that, un-
pleasant as 1t is, may be regarded as a
minor question. The paramount ques-
ton is the continuance of the train
ing of these winners of commissions
for service at the front. That should
not be evaded or paltered with.
The government considers three
years at West Point the minimum in
time OF war for converting raw mate
rial into officers. At the Plattsburg
camps there is three months 'instruc.
ton at high pressure, and commits
sions are then distributed. Army off
GERS are aghast at the prospect of a
gap-a yawning abyss it would be-
IN the training of graduates of the
camps who stand on the Threshold of
usefulness.
Protests are pouring in on Secre-
tary BAKER There is unanimity among
military men upon the point that to
relegate the men who earn commits
sions to private life and separation
from army associations would be To
run the risk of their rapid deteriora-
ton and of their waning enthusiasm
Tor active service. There could be
no more egregious blunder. The ef-
feet would certainly be to impair the
efficiency of troops that will need the
ablest leadership. 1t is not merely
a question of filling so many vacan-
cles; the important thing is that the
training of these officers cannot be
interrupted without detracting from
their value as leaders of the men In
tho