Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-28
$4,000
IRINES.SOUGHT
6r General Barnett
res Increase Before
Naval Committee
81 NOW INSUFFICIENT
Eork Accomplished by Branch
Of Service Regarded by
Many as Most Popular
Bv a sto1 Correspondent

[<.< WASHINGTON, Jan. rs.
(: A movement is well under way to in
<1roase the strength of the marine corps
10 20, 900 to about $4,000 men.
tX1uior General George Barnett, COM
1nndant of the marine corps recon-
e1ded the increase TO Congress last
)1ursday, when he appeared before the
<Ava1 Affairs Committee of the House
~ Representatives.
Ex The movement is favored by large
Xnuniber of Senators and Congressman.
who are highly pleased with the record
tof service and efficiency established by
thiS branch of the armed forces.
Testifying before the House Naval
rAfrs<frs Committee, Major General Bar
nett asserted that the marine corps
needs at once approx imately r3,000 more
men to meet the navy's program of adj
dItional ships and men.
There are now large number of
marines In France, he said, the exact
<nufnber he could not make public. and
ffhe program of sending a large number
more over to cooperate with the army
makes 1t desirable and necessary to in
Grease the strength of the marine. corps.
General Barnett went over with the
committee in detail the number Of war
ships called for in the navys program"
how many marines it would be necessary
TO place aboard each vessel. and demon
strated to the full satisfaction Of o
majority of the committee members that
the 10000 men now in the marine corps
will not be sufficient to man all the ships
with the quota of marines. much less
spare many thousands more for service
: N the trenches in France.
The committee will keep. this testi-
mony of General Barnett IN mind when
III begins framing its annual appropra-
Pfion bill shortly, and the prospects are
+ that the marine corps increase will
be Recommended by the. committee to
the House.
\ The marine corps, in the minds Of
Yanny the most popular branch of the
armed forces of this country. has been
more than trebled in strength during
tho last eighteen months. Previous TO
iAugust, 1916. the total strength of the
feorps was 10 600 men.
On August 20. 10 Congress in
tcreased the enlisted =. 9Th from 10000
70 5000 men and aut oriAed the Presi-
dent In case of emergency to bring the
increase up to 17,i0O.
1 When the emergency came. after the
fdeclaration of state of war with Ger
many. the President authorized the en-
lIistment OF the corps up. TO I7,iU0. ~. on
August 10 last Congress authorized
still another Increase of the marine
corps to 10000
The strength of the marine corps now
Is $4,000 men and 5000 reserves, Il
total of $4,000 men. Although the law
only authorizes strength Of 10000
linen. General Barnett has taken al
Vantage of the fact that during scV-
teral months shortly after the big in
GREASE authorized there were far lcss
than 10000 men enlisted which left ~
balance of authorized nay over suflicient
~ now pay more thar the authorized
i. .Gkrength.
Before August, 1916, there were only
&t42 officers in the marine corps. There
<4ee now 1880. An ironclad rule has
Fbeen laid down that all future officers
rot this; corps must come from the ranks
This bars the way to all outsiders who
may wish to obtain II commission in the
marine corps through taking an cXam-
Z nation. such as is done for the army.
M The enlisted ranks of the marine
corps are full and the recruiting branch
of this service has thousands Of appli-
cations on hand from men waiting for
an opportunity to enlist. In this way
the service is able to choose it's men and
gohfain men of the highest physical and
mental fitness.
While it has been difficult. in some
instances. to obtain men for the army
and navy, the marine corps has expert
enced no trouble in trebling it's strength,
and establishing reserve and waiting
HIST ..