Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-17
Discussion of Defenses Not in
Public Interest.
REPORT NOT TO SEE LIGHT
Prince Wants Army and Navy to
Talk Less and Do More.
ABOLISH MANY POSTS
Representative Believes Officers
Should Stay With Commands and
Not Seek Detached Service.
ewes Officers

Secretary Of War Dickinson today sent
to the House q letter In reply to the Nc
Lachlan resolution concerning the ade-
quacy of national refense.
The letter discusses the situation brief
ly. The secret report recently submitted
to the House and withdrawn, will not be
resubmitted.
Secretary Dickinson's letter, together
with the Speakers letter to Mr.. Dickin-
son. returning the secret report, was
read to the House today.
Mr.. DickinSOn'S communication said It
was not compatible with public interest
at this time to report to the House the
information called for by the McLach-
Ian resolution. This letter was in reply
to Speaker Cannon's letter of December
The Speaker. after quoting the House
rules relating to secret sessions,
executive communications and printing,
In view Of the above rules it is
practically impossible for the Speaker
to treat this matter as confidential if
it is to be brought to the attention Of
the House."
The two communications, without OBJ
lection of the House, were ordered
printed.
Prince Criticises Military.
Representative Prince Of the military
affairs committee Of the House is in
clined to believe that SOME reform in the
army could be inaugurated that would
be helpful in case Of attack by a foreign
power.
1.-THE army of the United States should
be mobilized, its officers now on detached
duty sent to their commands, and their
places filled by Clerks said Mr.. Prince
today. II am in favor Of giving the
army all the guns and ammunition it
needs, but l would like to see the OFF,
GERS of the army quit talking about the
personnel. be real soldiers, and do their
real duty.
1.-The officers of the army should de-
vote their whole time and attention pure
are educated and paid. They are ex-
cel1ent men, but are lacking in military
knowledge because they are scattered all
over the country, many of them away
from their regiments.
"All officers should be assigned to their
regiments, so that the captains may
know their colonies. and the colonies
may know their men. The officers should
cease looking for detached service with
easy work and easy pay.
There is no war in sight, In my judg-
ment. Nor is there conspiracy to bring
on q war scare unless 1t is the fact that
the great powder and ammunition estab-
.lishments are after the business which
ment.''
Would Abolish Many Posts.
Mr.. Prince ALSO found serious fault with
the large number Of army posts scattered
throughout the country. He intimated
that the great majority Of the posts were
political presents to towns and cities de-
string to get slices of government money
paid to ofilcers and soldiers and In the
purchase Of supplies. =
There are $50 military posts scattered
| through the country, he said; between
fifty and one hundred could be abolished.
He had been told by army officers that.
| In case OF war, 70 per cent OF the army
| would have to be left to guard the little
property owned by the government at
army posts.
McLach1an Answers Tawney.
After asserting that the allegation of
collision between the War Department
| and the military enthusiasts In Congress
to force large appropriations. which was
made by Representative Tawney, lis too
childish to be taken seriously Repre-
sentative McLachian Of California, au-
thor Of the resolution that stirred up the
| trouble about the confidential report
| from the department to Congress, yes
terQdy afternoon HaOe n vigorous reply
| to Mr.. Tawney.
III the interviews with Mr.. Tawney
are correct" said Mr.. McLachlan, "he
| admits that We are as fatted capon
and would have US pose an q game cock.
| IN other words, he would have us true to
our ability to bluff
I'VE have bluffed since the beginning
Of our national existence. We have been
at regular intervals called by war;
Tawney's Patriotism Criticised.
"Our appalling pension rolls, the grea1
heart scars carried by thousands Of our
people, bear witness to the fact that
there have been Tawneys In the councils
of our nation before; alleged patriots,
who have kept the nation IN utter igno-
rance of its helpless condition. until war
has come, and have then placed unendur'
ing, unframed, untutored men, armed
with obsolete weapons, in the field to up
hold the national honor.
| Thousands Of the best of our blood
and brain and Drawn have persisted in
typhus camps. through ignorance Of the
| elementary sanitary precautions. The
Filipino was better armed than our vol
unteers In 1888.
1.-THE most wicked national 'cowardice'
4 Y To- d1pcv n,rp a