The Washington herald., 1917-01-26
Army and Navy News
Best Service CsIunn In Cfty.

Not until there 10 universal mintary
training will there be intelligent military
legislation, Maj Robert Mccormick, OF
the First Illinois Volunteer Cavalry, toio
tho Senate Military Committee yesterday.
When this country has 100000 train
ed soldiers not too old to be called 70
the colors. when II has artillery as sooo
as that of any possible invader, instead
or the second-rate hardware we now
have. there will be no danger of our being
attacked" he said.
Maj. Mccormick compared the English,
French and Russian armies. and point
ed out that the defects Of the United
states regular army as well as OF the
volunteer system.
The horsemanship of the enlisted men
IN the regular army would make our
cavalry helpless before the Russian" be
said. "As for our volunteer cavalry, only
once during the entire six months mo-
bilization on the border could I get my
entire squadron mounted at tho same
time. We had two types Of sabres. In
Volving different manuals, one being
straight and the other curved; two types
OF pistols, using different size ammuni-
ton.
I'VE couldn't pay cooks enough to keep
them. and we couldn't impress them, SO
there was not a cook in the entire mill
tia force on the border. The waste Of
rations and the illness cost the govern
ment dearly as a result"
Universal training. he said, had result
ed In the French youths being taller.
broader, and deeper chested than the
English, whereas twenty years ago, when
We went to school in both countries, the
English Lads were superior. He astonish-
ed the committee by declaring the French
boys superior physically to the American.
Among some of the prominent items
in the army fortifcations bill. as re-
ported to the House, are: The con-
structton of mining easements. cable
galleries, torpedo storehouses, cable
tanks and other structures for the care
of submarine mines at Fort Wright, on
Long Island Sound. at Los Angeles and
Galveston: acquisition of a site for the
proposed long-range guns for Della
ware Bay, and of the sites for two
16-inch guns and two 12-inch rifles In
Boston harbor; the construction of the
armament for eight 16-inch mortars
for Cape Henry and eight 6-inch NOR
tars and two 16-inch guns for Rockaway
Beach. two 16-inch guns for Puget Sound.
four 6-inch guns for Rockaway Beach.
two barbette carriages for 12-inch
guns for Boston Harbor; funds for the
altering and maintenance of sea coast
artillery and the alteration and mod
ernizing of all guns except certain
14-inch guns; increased sums for the
expenses of the Sandy Hook Proving
Grounds. to provide for the test of
additional armament, and funds for the
purchase, manufacture and test of sub
marine mine material and fpr its main
tenance.
Some of the larger items of the bill
include the beginning of the construc-
ton of seacoast batteries in the Ha-
watian Islands; surveys for strategic
roads in the islands, and aerial defense
of fnsular possessions, 1900. 900; am
munition for seacoast cannon in insular
possessions, s2.22s, 900; mountain seige
and field cannon, seacoast defenses of
the United States. $500, 900; ammuni-
ton for these cannon, s7,310.oO man
ufacture and equipment of seacoast
cannon. in addition to the above. So
S21,00 and ammunition for the same,
$40, 900; construction of gun and
mortar batteries. S2.50O,O0O; ammuni-
ton for subcaliber guns, 1900. go;
alterations and maintenance, $500. 900;
control stations, new and improved sea
walls and embankments and repairs of
existing fortifications, nearly $1,000. 900
more.