Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/517

 DEFENCE 895

are 'light' artillery, 2 mountain artillery, 1 field artillery, and 1 horse artil- lery All batteries have 4 guns and 8 wagons both in peace and war. There

are also 170 companies of coast artillery. The engineers consist of 3 Imttalions, each of 4 companies of 3 officers and 159 men.

In addition to the regular United States army, there are 52 companies

of Philippine Scouts, (natives) each of 3 officers and 104 men ; total, 5,912 There are also the Indian Scouts. 75 in number.

The authorised peace strength of the army at present is as follows : —

Infantry, cavalry, artillery, and engineers .... 74,092

Staff and Departments 15,688

Native Colonial troops,. . . . 5,912

Total, all ranks. . . 95,692

The regular U.S. troops stationed abroad amount to about 15,500 of all ranks, viz. : — 12,200 in the Philippines, 2,400 in Hawaii and 900 in the Isthmian Canal Zone.

In the case of the National Guard or organised Militia the various States maintain the units of all arms with the aid of grants from the Federal Government. Enlistment in the National Guard is purely voluntary, the term of service being usually three years ; the organisation has been assi- milated to that of the regular troops. The President can call out the Militia for service either within or without the borders of the United States. The total strength of the National Guard is about 119,000 oflBcers and men, and it is estimated that about three-fourths of the whole could actually be put into the field. It is organised in 140 regiments and 9 battalions of infantry, 69 squdrons of mounted troops, 51 batteries of artillery, and 122 coast artillery companies.

The reserve, or unorganised, Militia comprises, with certain exemptions, the whole of the manhood of the nation between the age of 18 and 45, all being legally liable to serve in a national emergency for a period of 2 years. Their estimated number is 15 millions, but they are untrained, and of no present value, though encouragement is being given to rifle shooting.

In event of war the United States could put into the field about 60,000 regular troops, and about 80,000 or 90,000 partially trained National Guard. The American nation relies on being able to raise, in case of emergency, a great Volunteer army. If sufficient numbers were not forthcoming, the reserve militia could be obliged to serve for two years, but this army, whether its ranks were filled by voluntary or compulsory recruitment, would practic- ally be a new creation.

The regular infantry and cavalry are both armed with the short U.S. rifle, Springfield model, 1903, calibre '300. The armament of the horse and field batteries is a shielded Q. F. gun firing a 15 lb. shell.

The President is Commander-in-Chief of both the army and the navy. The Secretary of War controls the army with the aid of an Assistant- Secretary and a Chief-of-the-Staft'. 'J he former has oharge of finance, and non-military work, while the latter in entrusted with the general .supervision of the army.

The army budget in 1912-13 amounted to 94,210,400 dollars (£18,642,080). This does not include the expenditure by the several States on their National Guard ; nor the enormous sum paid in pensions to former soldiers, both regulars and volunteers, which is separately provided.