South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-08-04
NATION s DEFENSE
TO Be DISCUSSED
Governors to Take Up Question
of Preparedness at Meet
ing at Boston.

BOSTON. Mass, Aug. Military
Preparedness for national defense is
TO be discussed by the governors of
the various states at the annual con-
ference Of governors TO be held in
Boston Aug. "a, % and 26, according
TO the program announced today by
NJ. c. Riley. secretary of the govern
ors' conference. While this confer
ence includes in its membership the
governors and former governors of
4S states the Boston meeting is to
have added significance by reason of
the fact that adjutant generals of
many states also will attend and par
ticipate in the discussion of plans for
increasing the size and increasing the
efficiency of the militia of the states
as part of the national defense.
The discussion is to be opened by
Gov. James p. Fielder of New Jersey
who will read a paper on The Rela-
ton of the State of the National De-
fense.'
others who will participate in the
discussion are Cows. Charles 5. Whit
man of New York, Frank Il. \. Willis
Of Ohio, Edward f. Dunno of Illinois,
Earnest Lister of Washington, w. 5.
Hammond of Minnesota. and former
Cows. William Hodges Mann of Nir-
ginia and Elias NJ. AmmOns of Colo
RADIO.
The Mexican situation and the
European war doubtless have caused
governors of many states TO ponder
their own and their states response
bilities in relation 10 military pre-
paredness" said Sec'y Riley. "All
the governors were consulted in the
preparation of the program for the
coming conference. Practically all
asked that some phase of the eff
cheney Of our citizen soldiery be dis
cussed, thus disclosing a keen inter-
est on the part of the states in the
problem now confronting the nation
an interest so keen as TO amount to
a recognition by the states of a de-
gree of responsibility.
"Utterances of many public men,
magazine articles and the current
news carried by the daily press all in
dictate that there is an increasing con
viction that Americans, as individuals
and as a nation. should be capable Of
acting in self defense Many of the
governors feel that the time is ripe
for some uniformity of action in CO.
operation with the national govern
Tnent for providing an adequate pro-
gram for improving the national de-
Tense. This problem is no longer the
simple one that il was 100 years ago.
Now. more than ever before, there is
general acceptance of the doctrine
that every American boy should re-
ceive training which will equip him
TO become an efficient unit in the ma
tons defense. This is not new doc
trine. but is merely emphasized at
this time by the awful spectacle of all
Europe engaged in war. Readiness
on the part Of the citizen 10 serve his
country clearly was contemplated by
the constitution. which provides that
congress may call forth the citizens
10 serve as militiamen 10 quell insur-
rectiOn and repel invasion. Many
governors feel that If every young
man is subject under the law 10 be
called upon for military duty, then
il is important that such training
should be provided as viii fit young
men 20 perform that service we'll"
other subjects To be discussed at
the coming conference are: The ex-
ecutive budget, economy and eff
cheney in the state. taxation. CONVEX
sation. uniformity in the fundamental
Of workmen's compensation acts of
the different states. duties and re-
sponsibilities Of governors in dealing
with prisoners.