El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-04-14
IT WOULD BE BETTER TO DO 1T
RIGHT FROM THE VERY START
(BY II. S. 20

OF l66O0 guardsmen enrolled states than 10
percent failed respond.
Twentynne percent Of the rest could not pass the re
CURED tests.
FOrty-three percent were recruits
Brought strength the force would have been Is
percent green for many months
Of 151,O95 officers and Of the organized militia
mustered into the service after the call only oe57 were
ready to to the border month and half after the call
issued The regular supply service has been
blamed for this failure large extent Congress can hardly
be expected to blame itself.
The modified force $1,000 below strength and
than 1000 below minimum peace strength.
In this instance both the national guard system and the
volunteer system fell down. practical measure OF national
defence The national guard did, however, receive SIX or
eight months of hard training which benefited officers and
men immensely and It Is going into this war lar stronger
than would have been possible otherwise As purely federal
institution, Second line esrve another year would
the national guard military organization of high eff
ciency It is well worth joining by any young man
to his country whether he aSpres to rise to
commission OF not.
But neither the national guard the regular army
be brought up strength kept at strength in
that way. The Obligatory call must be applied.
We at with Germany. We lack army of
sufficient size for the nations defence The regular army
ready 10000 strong, enough TO hold II IS miles Of
such lines held in western Europe, provided
with adequate Sixty thousand about half the
national guard which the country had expected TO de-
pend for less experienced officers to command
units of volunteers have been called into service to guard
nunition plants armores naval stations supply depots
shpbuing plants DOCKS and railroads To give such pro-
lection the country the entire national guard will be
needed and will be far from sufficient It may be that home
guards viii have TO assist with that work yet.
The problem of differing army Of 100000
such president Wilson recommends, will be very serious
1t will be in part by the commissioning of about
commissioned officers of the regular army perhaps
Of the national guard making 1000 from the
regulars and the national guard For army Of 100000
men, about $4,000 officers needed; for 100000 men,
$4,000 officers Therefore many thousands Of officers would
remain be supplied from the officers corps
and unred consisting of who have had intensive
training in civilian training together with graduates
Of private military schools and other civilians who have
taken examinations for commissions
Officers of the regular army much the dark
garing impending military developments civilians
VIII the regular be broken in order to obtain officer
material for the task of nstrucng the army? Then
We should have army at all
The question OF material and equipment may expect
to be satisfactorily met by the government matter what
the demand be- the industrial power of the
country be modified But the question Of trained officers
for large army is much harder Great Britain has found
that it takes six to nine months to soldier it
takes year 10 year and half officer Under
modern conditions the responsibilities attaching the
posts Of officers much greater than before And
not all good soldiers good officer material.
Speed an element Of Importance with the United States
just now, ard that method be adopted which will
lec the maximum number OF of right grades in the
time