The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-06-17
TAFT AND THE ARMY.

Former President Taft, who is now
Kent Professor of Law in Yale Uni
versity, touched few days ago in one
of his lectures upon the condition of
the u S, army. Mr.. Taft has shown
himself thoroughly we'll disposed to-
wards peace, towards arbitration, and
towards the amicable settlement Of all
disputes among the nations. He nego-
tiated the first international arbitration
treaty ever accepted among mankind.
SO that whatever he says about the
army cannot be in any way twisted
against him as a "jingo argument. "
Accordingly, when Mr.. Taft says that
the National laws affecting our army
are antiquated, that the army is ineffi
cient and unprepared, and that COM
plete remodeling of our military system
is an imperative necessity if we would
have an army at all on proper basis,
the public can reasonably and fairly
accept what he says as an unbiased,
practical expert opinion, valuable for
public use and guidance.
Prior to his becoming President, Mr.,
Taft was Secretary of War, and so
was fully conversant with army affairs
and with the army laws and the army
regulations. As President he was
Commando Chief Of the army. and
in undertaking to mobilize a division
Of U. S. troops upon the Mexican bor-
der he had practical lesson of the in
efficiency Of our army, So that when
he says our army is inefficient for mill
tary purposes, is unprepared to under
take military operations, and that the
volunteer service is on the worst pos
sible basis, wasteful Of life in extraor-
dinary degree, and expensive beyond
all reason, he does not speak as one
ignorant of what he says, but as an
expert. as one Of practical experience,
dealing with questions which he com
prehends more fully than almost any
one else in the Nation.
These criticisms Of the army made
by President Taft are objected to in
some quarters. and the charge is made
that if the army is in as bad con-
dition as he says it is, then he himself
must be largely to blame, since he had
the command of that army as Presi-
dent, and the prior management Of it
as Secretary Of War. But as Secre~
tary of War and also as President, he
was obliged to deal with the army ac-
cording to the laws as they are, and
in such manner as Congress had laid
down for his guidance. Congress long
ago adopted policy, which has been
continued right along, of scattering the
army into small detached posts, MAX
ing it impossible for proper military
training and exercises, and depriving
the officers of all opportunity to gain
experience in the handling Of consider
able bodies of men. The regular army
itself, the reserves, the volunteer
forces, are all established as they are
by National law. 1t is impossible for
the President OF the Secretary Of War
to change the conditions laid down by
statute. The trouble is with the laws,
and it is the laws that President Taft
so severely criticises.
When it comes TO the reinforcing of
the army at need by inviting in yolun-
teers, Mr.. Taft calls unfayorable atten.
tion to the fact that these volunteer
forces would be organized and Off
cered by the States, the commissions
being issued by Governors of forty.
eight different States. and being
awarded, not because Of any military
efficiency. but often as political plums
and through the prominence of the
would~be officers in some other walk
of life entirely, having nothing to do
with military proficiency or even mill.
tary adaptability. Right here Presi-
dent Taft touches upon the great evil
of the volunteer service as it has been
in the past, and as it will be in the
future, unless there are radical changes
The sending of companies and regi-
ments Of men into the military service
under command of officers who have
NO military education, who know moth
ing about military duties or even the