New-York tribune., 1900-10-29
NO NEED FOR APOLOGY.

NO NEED FOR APOLOGY.
Some Republican leaders and speakers seem
TO have been infected with quite unnecessary
panic by Mr.. Bryans demagogic cry about
| "militarlsm," and have taken the defensive with
explanatory and minimizing statements, which
have rather tended to make people think there
must be something in the silly charge than to
show that the Administration had acted on
right principles and had nothing to be asha med
Of In few cases i'll considered declarations
seemed to descend toward Mr.. Bryan's own
oubblng plane, and the Democrats who are
quick enough TO see anything inconsistent on
the part of their opponents have not failed to
proclaim that they had the Republicans on the
run.
A few days ago somebody in the employ Of
the National Committee, probably one OF those
stupid blunderers who by some trick Of fate
seem always TO be trusted with the making OF
official campaign literature by both parties,
gave out a statement that the President asked
only for a temporary increase Of the Army in
his annual message Of 1898. The inaccuracy
of this statement was promptly shown by alert
Democratic critics. A little later Secretary
Root in his generally excellent and powerful
speech remarked: 1T is said that the Presi-
dent in his message to Congress in the fall
"of 1898, asked that the number be fixed
'at 100000. That was a reduction, not an
increase" In line with this, another state
ment comes from the National Commit
tee headquarters saying: when President
Mckinley recommended the retention of 100,-
1000 men in the Army he was arguing for
"a decrease, not an increase, for then there
were 272,oOO men in service" The oppo-
sition has merely to turn to the official rec
ords to put an inconvenient face on these ex-
plantations. The President in his message said:
The Importance of legislation for the per-
''mGneHt increase Of the Army is manifest and
1.-THE accommodation of the Secretary Of War
''for that purpose has my unqualified dp-
''prOUGL" And the Secretary of War had said
in his report: ''It is earnestly recommended
that the Regular Army be permanently In
'cTeaSed to 100000 men and the requisite Off
GERS" Thus the plea that the increase pro-
posed was only temporary reacts to the harm
Of those for whose supposed benefit it was put
forth, and Mr.. Roots discovery that the Presi-
dent really meant a decrease when he said an
increase is made to appear disngenuous. OF
course, in a sense what Mr.. Root said was true,
100000 men are fewer than 272. 900, but the
question under discussion was the organization
OF the Regular Army, which Mr.. Bryan says is
to be enlarged to enslave US. The Presidents
recommendation was to increase that Regular
Army, not to decrease it. and attempts to call
the proposed change a decrease because at the
time 1t was made We had a larger number Of
volunteers under arms temporarily merely gives
the Democrats a chance to say, as they are do
ing, that Republicans for some reason do not
wish ito defend the Presidents recommended
''don that the standing Army be permanently
increased to 100000 men,"
AS matter Of fact, there is no reason in the
world why Republicans should not frankly de-
fend permanent increase Of the Regular Army
TO 100000, and no reason why they should beat
about the bush with minimizing excuses or
umid explanations, unless they believe the
American people are a mass, Of imbeciles who
are carried away by any sort of rant and are
incapable of passing a sane judgment on plain
business proposition. A plan for an army of
100000 men is something in which the party
may take the same pride that it would in a
Navy equipped on modern lines instead Of
collection Of wooden hulks Everybody has
known for ten years that our old Regular Army
was inadequate and out Of date. Secretaries
and generals commanding have recommended
reorganization and increase commensurate with
modern duties. This country has been building
elaborate and costly seacoast defences, equipped
with guns requiring constant and expert care
Mr.. Bryan says those forts were built to
overawe the laboring man. but those who re-
member how every seaside village was in a
panic for fear of a Spanish feet in 1898 will
not be impressed by such drivel
1t is the height of folly to let our harbor de-
fences deteriorate. Secretary Lamont in 1894
recommended an increase in the Regular Army.
General Miles has repeatedly urged that the
numbers of the Regular Army be proportional
TO growing population. Before our present prob
lens arose experts said that as a mere matter
of business administration of our posts we
needed a considerable increase, and now un-
den1ably our cares are greater even with peace
restored in all our possessions, and every SEN
sible man knows 1t. The Presidents recon-
mendation for a permanent increase in the
Regular Army was a wise one regardless of the
manifest need of an extraordinary force for n
time in the Philippines and it requires no
! apology. Nothing is ever gained by failure to
proclaim boldly and even defantly the wisdom
Of a good policy and to trust to the peoples
| common sense to support It. Persons so silly
as to be influenced by Mr.. Bryans talk about
! the Army will not be conciliated by any soften
! ing explanations from Republicans, while others
/ who believe the President did right are only
| made suspicious by such tactics
NEW-YORK NOT TO BE PASSED By
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