The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-02
ARMY LEGISLATION
 IS NOT "PIECEMEAL,"
 DECLARES GARRISON
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upon the financial requirements, or pro- ceedings from those who are convinced tf; nothing should be done to strengthen or improve our military situation. If could deal with the question ideally. the proper way to do would be to pre- pare one great bill embracing everything, anoomsS that it be accepted as a whole a Hls enacted.
 hen l came to consider the recom-
 liations which l should make to Con- b Cis, the plan to secure the completion Of the units we already possessed seemed to r to be absolutely convincing. All military experts. I think, agree that the unit you have should be complete and trat if you have units which are ir- complete in themselves, you have inef- fectiveness.
 "Other recommenda tions were along the line of the military policy recommended by the general staff. It is fact that ali the bills had the approval of the general staff, excepting the coast artil- lery increase bill That did not proceed from the general staff, and it may be that the other branches of the army represented in that staff would not ap- prove of increasing the coast artillery in larger proportion than you 'n- crea sed other branches of the service
 ,,oefully Behind
 Here again it is a matter of judg- ment; and I felt that since we were So woefully behind in furnishing our quota for this essential work, we should make that up, even if it produced a dispropor- ton. As you know. we have spent at least $leO.OOO.O0O in coast defenses, and have relied upon the national guard to furnish one-haIf the personnel, and have agreed to furnish the other half from the regular army.
 ''The national guard has not been able to fulfill it's part, and we have not come anywhere near filling our part. All that I am asking for is that we should live ur to our own agreement in this re- spect.
 Certainly it seems to me to be a stua- tion that we cannot longer permit to ehdure-that these great coast defense forts should have no trained personnel to handle them. This personnel cannot be inprovised, and the guns might as we'll be dismantled if we are not to have trained men to handle them.
 From time to time the warscoilege has devoted it's attention to formulating general bill covering the whole subject natter An officer connected with the general staff appealed to you last sum- mer to secure his retention in Washing ton to work on this very matter, and you brought it to my attention. His duties called him elseWhere, and 1 notice that he has continued his activity and has caused his views to be published in several newspapers.
 q suppose it is too much to hope that all officers of the army can be expected to reach the wise conclusion that by in- terfering with the policies adopted by the war department, they cannot achieve any good results and almost always pre- vent that some which would be for the best interests of the service.
 Legislation Bad
 "I entirely agree with you that piece meal legislation. in the sense in which that word is properly applied. is bad.
 You will understand that the general staff, as a whole, has never passed upon the bill in question Qor general reorganization nor has it passed upon the question of whether 1t would be advisable in view of all the things which must be kept in mind if we are to be guided by wisdom. to present one com rrelrensive bill dealing with the whole situation at one time.
 'I note in your letter that you feel that nothing can be accomplished of aEy sort at this session excepting the routine appropriation bills. Therefore, no peed for my immediate consideration of this subject matter. I will give 1t con- sideration with view to such action as may be later advised"