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Show THE NEW ARMY. So far as the layman may judge the war department has worked out a plan which should result in the mobilization of a fully trained army of 1,200,000 men by next spring aud of 2,000,000 men later in the year, present indications indica-tions arc that neither force will be required re-quired this year, but in case of necessity neces-sity the SOO.OOO to be mustered into the regular army and national guard would be ready for service some time in the late summer or fall. At the present rate ol'volunteering, however, the units cannot be filled within a reasonable time. The plau to obtain thousands of officers of-ficers from the regular army and militia is admirable. Both of these organizations organiza-tions will furnish forth material as good as can be found in tho world. The commissioned com-missioned and non-commissioned officers of tho militia will take the higher commands com-mands and make way in the lower grades for private soldiers. When the army of 2,000,000 men is mustered thousands thou-sands of private soldiers will have become be-come commissioned oflieerB. In actual service, iu the fiery furnace of war, the gold of merit will be quickly found. Among the officers and privates of the regular army and national guard there are hundreds of military geniuses whose fitness for high commands is not known now. These will find their inspiration and their opportunity in the first few months of service in the field. Apparently there is no intention of using the selective draft until volunteering volun-teering has been proved insufficient. Then all young men between 19 and 25, who are not exempted by special provisions pro-visions of tho law, will be couscripted into tho new army. It is just as essential essen-tial as ever, therefore, that volunteering volunteer-ing should proceed. Those who volunteer volun-teer will have a distinct advantage over those who are conscripted. The volunteers volun-teers so,on will be intensively trained and when the time comes to pick the officers for the training of the drafted men the volunteers will be ready to take the higher positions. - The work is to proceed with all possible pos-sible haste, but there seems to be no intention in-tention to throw into the European war an unprepared army. That would be simply massacre and is not to be thought of. The only crisis which would make it necessary to rush our national na-tional guardsmen into the fray probably prob-ably would be of Mexican origin. While the Mexicans are by no means to be despised as fighting men, especially as they will be commanded by German reservists, re-servists, a fight with them would bo the best kind of training for the more serious seri-ous work abroad. The army of 2,000,000 which is to come into existence before the end of next year will make the United States one of the strongest military powers. If Germany wins the submarine contest we shall need to be as strong as the strongest. |