The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-02-24
PREPARES FOR WAR
CONGRESS Is oBEYING THE OLD
ADAGE TO MAKE READY IN
TIME OF PEACE.
EoUlPs THE ARMED SERVICE
Needing the Warnings of Colonel
Thompson and General Wood, 1t
Is Putting the Army on
Sound Basis.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

Washington.-While several treaties
looking to arbitration if not to actual
compacts of peace between this nation
and many others are in process Of ne
gotiation, congress is putting the Unit
ed States upon a safeguarding" mill
tary footing. In one of these Wash
ington dispatches recently 1t was said
The United States Is pushing to COM
pletion rapidly it's Notifications in the
Philippines, Hawaii and on the Pacific
coast Of the Panama Canal Zone. This
"a the only war scare story which does
not meet with either daily denials or
daily evasion"
Recent events show conclusively
that army officers must have known
! some time ago that a Democratic con-
gress intended to vote money to
strengthen the armed service by sup
plying the war material necessary to
make up known deficiencies. Probably
the army knew also that congress in
tended to supply means to strengthen
the Notifications and to give the army
other things necessary to meet any
emergency.
If there was any war scare In the
original chapter, it has its supplement
in the story of the legislative action
of today. Probably, however, there is
no real war scare in the situation. The
case doubtless is simply one of an
awakening to the necessity of taking
the precautions demanded by common
sense.
Heed Col. Thompson's Warning.
Not long ago the then acting chief
of ordnance, Col. John T. Thompson,
in an interview let it be known that
while the United States army in many
respects was in a proper condition to
meet the demands of warfare, it was
lamentably weak in field artillery and
in ammunition. Col. Thompson gave
this information to the country some
time before congress had taken up the
bills for appropriations, covering for
tif1cations and munitions Of war. Now
the legislators have acted and have
voted a large sum to be used to
strengthen the Notifications, to buy
the coast and field guns which are
necessary, and to purchase ammuni-
ton to make them serviceable.
The debates In congress on the
question of increased appropriations
for war material we're pointed, and as
they were held in the open everything
that was said is by this time known
in Europe and in Japan. The con
gressmen did not hesitate to talk
about other countries when they were
discussing the appropriateness oi
their own country to meet an enemy
in the field or on the sea. Taking this
debate in connection with that on the
; Asiatic exclusion provision. proposed
for the immigration bill, little room fol
wonder is left that the Japanese people
: are being kept more or less stirred
3 up over the doings in America
Putting Army on Sound Basis.
Before long Gen. Leonard Wood will
be transferred from his post as chic
of staff to some other scene Of com
mand. Not long before congress turned
its attention to the matter of mu
nitions of war, Gen. Wood told the
committee on military affairs of thu
. deficiency in guns and ammunition. A
that time it was asked pointedly wha
kind of reasoning it was that put 1t In
;. to a congressman's head that 1t wa
" all right to supply money to pay tn
men of six regiments of field artiller.
and then to give them nothing to worl
with. Congress apparently saw tn
point of the question and has pre-
: ceeded to supply the working material
l. IN, orrf1-
;, of the United States is to be upol
: something like a sound basis from
which to begin active operations
the necessity shall arise.
What of Senator Borah?
: What Of Borah? Washington Pre-
| gressives and Republicans, yes, an
Democrats, too, today are discus:
ing the probable future. political a
h titude of Senator William e. Bora
4 of Idaho. The senator, as is known
A is a progressive Republican. He ha
just made speech to the great Re
publican club of New York which ha
+. led to comment and speculation i
. Washington by the members of all tn
q political parties.
q w u0u LIE hSpuUilC1A udIlOueA SOAA
mittee met in Washington last Decen
Der, several progressive Republican
: were invited to address the member
i William e. Borah was one of then
- He was the only Republican of know
- progressive instincts and actions VIII
: declined in any way to mollify tn
committeeman by intimating that b
knew whatever action they took wit
:, reference to calling an extraordinar
convention of the Republican part
would be actuated by high motive
* The senator did not urge the calm
ss of national convention and he We
s. the only one Of the. progressive r
le publicans who took this negatiy
10 course.
~ It was said at the time that Mr.. 30
rs ali declined to stand with other pr
pressive Republicans in favor OF 8
extraordinary convention of the r
m publican party to regulate southel
in representation and to do other thini
~ In an attempt to appease the men wi
an left the party, because he thought tn
i such convention would be dominats