The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-09
Employees Allowed to Go to Annual Encampments
 Without Losing Pay
PLANNING TO FOSTER
 NATIONAL DEFENSE
Gary and Others Have Recently Been Quoted on Importance of Pro- viding Adequate Army
 and Navy
By HOLLAND

coin National bank of New York in formed the employees of that bank a few weeks ago that they would be permitted to draw full salaries for the time when they were engaged in military service at the state camps and that their absence upon this duty would not curtail their regular vacations. The announcement caused a good deal of public comment, all of it favorable, and the example was followed by a number of other institu- tions in New York. The state militia goes into camp at this season of the year and in the past some hardship has been experienced by these soldiers be- cause many of them were compelled to forfeit their salaries or wages while ab- sent upon this duty and in many cases were told that militia duty of this kind constituted their vacations.
 What was of mere local incident how ever, has commanded the attention of the administration at Washington. The Sec retary of the Navy, Josephus Daniels, in an official letter which he wrote and sent day or two ago to President War ren, expressed his qualification at this action, saying that 1t was in line with the work of preparation whereby the United States could meet any emergency and that this is now one of the most important subjects for the government and the people to consider.
 In these lines the Secretary of the Navy diseloses his earnest purpose to bring his own department to high de- gree of efficiency, or at least to make preparations for securing the efficiency which all but a few idealists now be- lieve is imperative for the government to secure. No longer is there any sus- ptcion that the President or his cabinet will make study of the problem of preparation simply with political con- alterations or partisan politics in mind. It Is true that in many parts of the country reports have come intimating that unless the government begins strong and efficient work of preparation 1t is not fnconceivable that popular demand for preparation of this kind will be so great as to make the nominat ton and election of Colonel Roosevelt for Pres ident possible, if not certain. For it appears that in many parts of the coun- try the views of Roosevelt reflecting prepara ton are shared by the great ma jority of citizens.
 President Warren, who grants to the employees of his bank leaves of absence with full pay while engaging in militia service at the state camps, has done this in part to stimulate the feeling of re- sponsibiity which Is upon every Amer ican who Is of age to take part in de- fensive action. President Warren himself Is commanding officer of a militia or ganization which would be likely to fur nish well trained officers in case we were called upon to raise and drill an army
 At the beginning of the civil war, Col onel Ashley, who was trained as mem Der and officer of a militia organiza- tion in Boston, organized a battalion in New York city included In which were some men who possessed great wealth This battalion was drilled every day, and it furnished by reason of that drill number of competent officers for volun- teer regiments, some of whom gained dis tincton for heroic service during the war.
 All of those who have studied this sub ject are persuaded that tne time has come when not only the militia organiza- tions of the various states, but also others who are not members of these organiza- tions should be thoroughly trained in the manual of arms and in the drill of sol diers That will be a part of the work of preparation, and some who have been greatly interested in this work see reason for believing that within a year or TWO almost all of the able bodied men of the United States who are of an age for military duty will have received some training which will serve them in case emergency should make call for volun teers necessary.
 The Public's Interest
 How great the interest of the public in this work of preparation is can be illus trated by the view expressed by Judge E. H. Gary. His view is all the more important since he has always been a warm advocate of peace and has been hopeful that the time Is not distant when issues between nations which would oth- erwise threaten war can be determined by impartial tribunals. Judge Gary Is quoted as having said that the United States should immediately begin the work of preparation.
 By preparation he means such activity and efficiency as will make 1t possible Tor us to secure the largest and best navy In the world and also an army many times larger than the present one. Short ly after the close of the civil war Gen. eral Irwin McDowell, in a speech which required not more than three minutes to deliver said at a banquet of the New England society that the army and navy of the United States are the two most powerful peace societies that the coun- try possesses. He declared that none of the wars in which the United States has been engaged was naugu- rated either by the army or the navy. He said "I hold that a nation never vet lost its liberty through it's military forces. but in every case the liberties were lost hefore the army or the navy was called in." For this reason, he hoped that the United States, never suspicious of it's army or It's navy. would nevertheless so perfectly develop these institutions that they would be recognized as the surest influences for maintaining peace
 There is no doubt felt here that the President and his pd n st ra tto, a ra ,,ou,