The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-12
says Country TIC, us:
Should Most Dread Is Now
Fully Prepared for War.
BELITTLE BRYAN'S
"MILLION IN A NIGHT
Can't Trust New Citizens,
He Adds-Ex-A mbassa-
dor Bacon Backs Stand.

Leonard Wood, senior officer OF the
United States army and commander of
the Department OF the East. this evening
before the business and professional
men who compose the military instruc-
ton camp. the regular army officers who
are in~structing them and the newspaper
men taking down for publication what
Gen. Wood had to say thrilled to en-
thusiasm more h LOO men when he
advocated a standing army Of a quarter
OF a million and dwelt particularly upoc
the danger OF trusting to new made clti-
zens for the defence of our country.
Bryan's army of 1000. 900 between
sunrise and sunset Gen. Wood dis
missed in a sentence, the khaki clad mill
tary students sitting out on the drill
plain in front of headquarters In the
twilight showing their appreciation OF
this part OF his discourse by laughter
and applause.
Among the private soldiers" In the
Among the private soldiers" in the au-
dience h heard words from the senior
General which were unprecedented was
Robert Bacon, ex-Ambassador to France.
who earlier in the day In reply to ques-
tons put to him had given his first inter-
view for a year. saying therein that
neutrality for the United States 'is i'm
possible"
Il want to say to you men" began
Gen. Wood to an audience which had
been marched to the drill plain after
supper under the impression that they
we're not to hear momentous words. but
q mere discussion of the objects OF the
instruction camp, "a few words regard
ing our method Of raising an army Of
defence and the fallacy of It,"
Woods Words Impress Rockies.
Rockies.
Gen. Wood had spoken only his open
ing sentence when the men before him.
who had settled into chairs as college
boys might nave done In a lecture hall
and began to pay rapt attention. A. one
Of them said aside. the General was evil
IDENTIFY about to talk in a way that army
men usually are not given to.
THE perfectly asinlne statement"
Gen. Wood continued. doubtless with Mr..
Bryan's pet declaration of the army Of a
million In MIND. has been made that
we could raise one million men between
sunrise and sunset. This assembling Of
you men here at this camp 10 an answer
70 that sort of foolish talk.
There are many amiable old ladies',
] know as well as you do, who think that
YOU. In coming to this camp, have re-
sponded to the call of the Wild Per-
sonally, / hope that the fact you nave
given up our work and money to come
here to be instructed means the begin
ming OF the response Of as many males
A. we have left in our land" Laughter
and applausc.l
There seemed to be no doubt in the
minds of Gen. Woods big audience then
that in this sentence he had in mind the
idea that the generic name of males
does not include the h%yphenated no
army and peace al any price folks.
81 hope" Gen. Wood went on. that
when you gentlemen go away from here
YOU will use your influence as good
American citizens, in contrast to the
ignorant masses, by whom you must not
10 influenced, and that you will do all
in your power TO help secure sane. good
legislation for the establishing OF an ade-
quate armament.
THE system of volunteers has always
been a failure. Washington warned US
earnestly eSen In his day against de-
pending upon volunteers for our national
defense. 1t might have been well enough
IN W~ashington's day to depend upon vol
unteers when the ocean meant isola-
ton for us but now. when the ocean
10 only five days wide. 1t Is instead OF
Q means of isolation a ready means OF
access.
Volunteer system q Failure.
"This talk Of a volunteer army is all
foolishness. There Is no such thing as
an adequate volunteer service. Every
citizen owes an obligatory service &c
his country. The trouble Is that this
fact Is not recognized as II should be.
THE district in which We manufactur'
our munitions of war and our gunpow
der Is all embraced In IA small area or
our Eastern seaboard., You can yer,
readily imagine what a force of, say
$50. 900 trained soldiers once LANDED OF
our shores could do to us under tn,
circumstances You know AS well AS
thdt u sou S'iai'Sieh'u " 'hTod
1t doesn't make much difference how
much he kicks and hits out wildly 4
you.
THE nations we apprehend are pre-
pared, The nations who are coming I,
US are ready
Gen. WOOD did not here elaborate L
the extent Of saying outright that h,
expected war. His hearers, however
too this meaning from his phrase. 18th
natinnS who are coming To MS and An
his next sentence he did not mentio
Mexico by name, but again his audienc
took II for granted that he had tn
Mexican situation in mind.
w can take care of the little ones.
said the senior General after speaking o
thu nations who are coming to us, ''an'
the danger of their coming pOrtends, !