The Hawaiian gazette., 1914-05-26
WILSON HAS
HIS OWN
IDEAS
HE views on military Nesds in
Event Of Decisive Action in
MeSico IRE Opposed TO Recon-.
mcndations Of General STAFF and
war College Officials,


Washington, President Wilson and tho
General STAT Of the Army are at odds
in the matter Of the character Of troops
which shan occupy Mexico should the
occupation of that country by In Amer.
lean army become necessary.
The General stan members, with
memories OF past experiences with vol
unteeer armies in mind, have been .urg-
ing the President to agree to- call for
volunteers az soon us ii becomes appar-
.ent that there will be general hostil.
tiles. Such a eull, IN the opinion Of
the hiet Of Stan and his assistants
will permit tine mobilization within u
few Gays time of Il teasonabiy efficient
Volunteer army. The President, how
ever, has expressed hinself as opposed
to this plan 10 believes tlat the work
in Mexico can be handled entirely by
the regular army aud that the sltpa.
ticn on tho border can be handled by
Gaining into service the lSitional guard
forces of New York, Pennsylvania and
Ohio in which States there Is either a
division or nearly division Of organ
lied militia ready for service. These
state troops coald take the place of the
regular troops now at Texas City and
Galveston or on the border patrol.
Experts Disagree.
The langcfin the President 5 plan is
twofold, according to the staff officers
at the war college, where section OF
the general stafi has been making a
study of the problems the occupation
of Mexico will present. In the first
place there is bound to hc more or less
Keeling OF resentment at not being call
ed into service from the national guard
forces of other Statcs and it is unlikely
that they VIII stir themselves to recruit
their organizations to full war strength.
Then, should it be necessary TO call on
these States at later date for addi-
t;onal troops, there will be long aud
costly delay before these troops Will be
ready to enter Mexico to meet sueh
other duty which may he ASSIGNED them.
On the other hand, the service on the
Texas border will be anything but
pleasant for the .militiamen, and after
two or lthreo months there il is unlikely
that tie force from the selected States
will be allie to secure sufiriept volun-
teers among the rank and file to enable
these organizations to come into the
service as volunteer regiments and bri,
gades, unless they 'zere assured of a
general action in Mexico and nSt con.
tinuance Of the border patrol duty.
.".' woula Cripple Volunteers.
The General staff argue that to carry
out tbs President Is plan would also de.
prive the volunteer army of the ser
vices Of the regular army officers from
its inception, when their services will
be vitality important factors in whip
ping it into shape, IT the troops from
several States were ordered into the
field by the President as national guard
TROOPS they would 90 under their own
officers entirely, as the President has
no authority to substitute regular of.
fcers in even the lowest grades. One
important feature of the recently en-
acted volunteer law wRs the provision
for the commissioning of a certain mum.
her Of regular officers to the volunteer
regiments. Not only is their presence
necessary TO the proper training of the
new organigations-con from ma
tiumal guard regiments or otherwise
reeruIteh--hnt the important work of
the several supply departments can on,
ly be efficiently executed under men
who have made the problems of supply
their life work. -.
Through the President 3 plan runs
the desire TO avoid even the appear.
ancc of actual war. To his way of
thinking the issuing of the call for
volunteers win give the action this
guise and this he is most anxious to
avoid. .-- ...'.. ...,.. %.
The General Stat officials argue that
the situation Is admittedly acute, that
there is moro than a fair chance that
volunteers viii be required and that
plans should be made for the creation
of a volunteer army with the national
guard forces, or as many of them as
may be required, enrolled as such.
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