The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-08-05
PLANS FOR LARGER FORCES.
Secretary of War Is Considering Far
Reaching Changes.

That Secretary Garrison is prepar-
ing a far-reaching plan for military
reorganization. coupled with an in
crease in the army, appears to be
pretty clear. says a Washington spec
ial TO the New York Evening Post.
He is not only working steadily at
his office. but has been holding even
ing conferences at the Army and
Navy club and elsewhere with the
leading generals on duty here. If re-
ports are correct, he will renew all
the recommendations made last year.
including the one for $4,000 coast
artillerymen, and ask for still more,
and there are even those who think
that he may ask for a complete reo1-
ganizat:on of the National Guard, the
establishment of a reserve, and for
other militaristic measures. Just
how far he will go will not, of course,
be known officially until he is either
ready to announce it in the war de-
partment, or reserves it for publica-
tion in his annual report which ap-
pears in December.
At present, there is less interest
here in the exact scope Of his plans
than in the attitude Of the president
toward these recommendations and
toward Mr.. Garrison himself. Last
year, Mr.. Garrison made some rec
concentrations in his report which
were at direct variance with those in
the presidents message, a rather sur
prising happening in view Of the fact
that a cabinet officer is not supposed
to differ from his president in far
reaching matter of policy of this kind.
Apparently the president had never
seen Mr.. Garrison's report before he
published his own message. What
people are wondering about now is
whether this performance will be re-
peated this year, or whether the pres
ident will before long, send for Mr.
Garrison, come to an agreement with
him as to any recommendations that
should be made, for an increase OF
our land armament, if any. and make
him confine himself to that which MIR.
Wilson will himself urge in his mes
sage to congress.
Cabinet Has Had Free Hand.
In a sense, this will be test Of the
whole Wilson theory of cabinet gov
ernment.. Up to this time, Mr.. Will
son has given his cabinet officers an
unusually free hand in the manage
ment of their respective departments.
He has been so concerned with ques-
tions of foreign policy, and has had
to give so much of his time to being
his own secretary of State. that he
has not wanted to be bothered with
the details of the departments. He
has trusted absolutely officials like
Secretary Lane and Secretary Garri-
son, and he has rather impatiently
brushed those aside who have reach
ed him with protests against the de-
cisions of these officials. He will not
reopen cases which they have decid-
ed if he can help it. An instance OF
his LOYALTY to, and trust in. his sub
ordinates is his hearty endorsement
and approval of the work being done
by Secretary Daniels, with which he
asserted, he is thoroughly familiar.
In other words, his relations to his
cabinet officers have been in large
degree the same that he had with his
heads of departments in Princeton
University. They. it is said, had COM
plete sway within their own field;
but whether this is so or not, it Is
known that the type of official who
serves him best in Washington is he
who lets few of the questions before
him reach the white house for dis
cussion or approval. 1t was this
policy which made possible the dis
sonance of last year, when the report
of the secretary of war and the presi-
dents message showed, to say the
least, a lack of coordination.
In some of the departments one
hears in consequence complaints loud
and long. that it has never been so
difficult to reach any president and
to get his mind centered upon I'M
portant departmental matters. 1t is
admitted, of course, that President
Wilson has had larger and more far
reaching national questions to grap-
pie with than any president OF late
years. Moreover, he is tremendous
" hard working man: he has neither
the daziness nor the procrastination
in dispatch of official matters which
marked Mr.. Taft's incumbency of the
white house. He labors early and
late without regard for an eight-hour
law or any other. But the question
i. ~.~wn