Chapter XIV: Section 8: , Clauses 11, 12, 13, 14. To declare war, grant letters of

marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water.

To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years.

To provide and maintain a navy.

To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces._

The Army.--Americans are always impressed by the military spirit so prevalent in European nations. Compared with the standing army of Germany, which has some 700,000 men, and with that of Russia, containing 1,000,000 men, or with that of most European nations, our army is insignificant in size. According to a law of 1901, the army of the United States cannot contain more than 100,000 men.[33]

[Footnote 33: The minimum number of men was fixed at 57,000. In 1908, the number of officers and men in the army was 72,628.]

Fortunately, there has always existed in the United States the desire to keep the standing army from becoming unduly large. The Constitution itself indicates that appropriations for the army shall not be for a longer time than two years. At the end of this period, the people may check the growth of the army through the election of representatives opposed thereto.

Officers and Classification of the Army.--The President is,
_ex officio_, commander-in-chief of the army and navy of the United
States. The office of general was created, by Congress, March 3,
1799, but was not filled. It was revived in 1866 for General Grant,
General Sherman succeeding to the title in 1869. The same rank was
bestowed on General Sheridan in 1888. The lieutenant-general is
next in rank to the general. The army is distributed geographically
as follows: Division of the Philippines and the Departments of
California, of the Colorado, of the Columbia, of Dakota, of the
East, of the Lakes, of the Missouri, and of Texas. The division is
in charge of a major-general, and the departments are each in
charge of a major-general or of a brigadier-general. The commands
which correspond to each grade are: major-general, four regiments;
brigadier-general, two regiments; colonel, one regiment;
lieutenant-colonel or major, a battalion or squadron; captain, a
company. As now organized, infantry regiments consist of 12
companies, of 65 men each. Cavalry regiments contain 12 troops,
each having 65 enlisted men.

The Navy.--We are told by competent authorities that one of our best means of preserving peace with foreign powers is to maintain a strong navy. This has become much more necessary since the United States has begun to acquire insular possessions. Although the construction of the modern American navy was not begun until 1883, there has been a notable advance within the past few years. In 1910 it was estimated that our navy is excelled in strength only by that of Great Britain. Congress, in 1910, continued the policy of "adequate preparation" by authorizing the construction of two battle-ships a year.

Names of Vessels.--A ship of the first class is given the name
of a State; one of the second class that of a principal city or
river, and the names for ships of the third class are selected by
the President. The navy now contains 312 vessels.

Officers in the Navy.--The titles admiral and vice-admiral,
corresponding to the grades of general and lieutenant-general in
the army, were created by act of Congress to be bestowed on the
following men as recognition for distinguished services during the
Civil War: Admirals Farragut and Porter; and Vice-Admirals
Farragut, Porter, and Rowan. Admiral Dewey was granted his title by
a special Act of Congress after the Battle of Manila. The officers
of the navy ranking with major-generals, brigadier-generals,
colonels, and so on, in the army, are rear-admirals, commodores,
captains, commanders, lieutenant-commanders, lieutenants, masters,
ensigns.

The Militia.--With but little opposition in the Constitutional Convention, Congress was given the power to make provision for citizen-soldiers as follows:--