The Washington herald., 1917-02-07
Army and Navy News
Rest servles celusns q city.

rlA
There is just one way for CONGRESS to
mold up the hands Of the President In the
present great crisis In our international
anairs. yesterday said Joseph Letter,
president of the Army League. "and that
is by the immediate passage OF universal
Inintary training legislation. All other
resolutions or expressions from Congress
VIII not be taken seriously by Germany.
rney viii have little more effect than the
passage of resolution by q Juvenile de-
oaung society. We simply must imme-
oiateiy adopt a military policy by which
we can enforce any demands that the
PRESIDENT may make and be prepared to
oeIend our country.
The enactment of legislation at this
session OF Congress- will mean that in
tnree years we will have something like
an adequate land and sea force We must
nave compulsory military service to man
our Meet as well as to defend the country
on land from invasion. OF course. it
would be suicidal in light OF the mobili-
zation OF the National Guard on the Mex
ican border to depend upon the volunteer
system. We simply cannot secure an
aoequate force by volunteer enlistments.
rms or any other country never has Sc
cured an adequate force to defend itself
py the volunteer system.
ASIDE from the failure Of the volunteer
system, 1t is unjust and undemocraic.
Whatever military burdens are laid upon
the shoulders of the people as the result
OF the developments In the present crisis
lshouid be equally distributed upon the
shoulders OF all as they are able to bear
them. We should carefully guard against
any system by which the rich can avid
military service in enacting legislation on
this subject.
Inc General STAFF Of the army, am
INFORMED, has completed a report upon
this subject. This should be sent to Con-
sress Immediately and submitted to the
military committees. Congress should lay
aside all other legislation and devote It's
time exclusively to the passage of some
enective measure for the defense of the
lcountry''
Available organized land forces of the
| United states today amount, roughly to
5000 officers and men, made up of l25,-
600 regulars and 10000 National Guards
men dncluding both those still in the
Federal service and those under State
controD
The exact figures today are known only
to the War Department at Washington,
but recent reports give a close idea of
what the organizations represents in
fighting strength.
In his last annual report, Secretary of
War Baker stated that the actual
1
1916 dncluding the Philippine Scouts), was
| ,64 officers and men.
In the year beginning July / last, by
the national defense act OF June 3. 1916
| the army was to be increased to 13s Sg
officers and men, divided as follows:
Infantry, IS regiments ............ 51,224
Cavalry, IL regiments ............ 1857
Field artillery, regiments ......... 7,Ssl
Engineers, regiments and
| mounted company ................ 21es
Coast artillery corps ................ q, ,4o3
STAFF corps and departments ........ 1924
Philippine Scouts .................. 5,733
Miscellaneous ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 1851
| Total enlisted strength Cncluding
| medical Department. .......... 1sS, ,Ss7
| Exceptional difficulties have been found
in carrying out this program for increas-
ing the army. On account of the remark
able Industrial activity of the country, re-
cruiting is and has been. since the in
crease was authorized, at very low ebb.
1t is therefore probable that the estimate
OF 1S,oo0 as the strength of the regular
army errs on the side of optimism, and
l15,ooo may be closer the true figure.