New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-12
U. 5. In DANGER
AND HELPLESS,
WOODS WARNING
Calls Volunteer Armies
Failures in His Talk
to Rockies.
Prom a stan Correspondent, Of The Tribune ]

Plattsburg, n. Y. Aug. 11.-Major
head Of the United States Army, to-
night, to eleven hundred busines. men
encamped here at the military instruc-
tion school, attacked the conditions
which keep our army unprepared for
defence, scoffed at the Jasmine state
ment" of william Jennings Bryan that
eve can raise one million men between
sunrise and sunset" and virtually
questioned the administrations Mexi-
can policy.
General Woods verbal smashes pro-
voked a demonstration that is difficult
to describe.
There were many times when ap-
plause and sarcastic laughter became
so strong that the speaker, who stood
in calm survey of the impression ne
was making, was compelled to halt. The
audience, mainly composed of men
whose work calls for cool thought, put
mental fire to the fuel Of his utterances
SLu WOIhtu NHtIHSeiNCo W @ 'NNN
military ardor that one finds on a
battlefield.
The student business men of many
political faiths were tired from long
day of drilling when, at O'CLOCK TO-
night, following supper, company COM
manders told the men to assemble on
the side of the slight hill that runs
down to the Lake Champlain shore IL
was expected that General Woods talk
would be along rather technical lines
Call to Prepare Needed.
II was about 1880 o'clock when the
amateur officers gathered in the dusk
on the hillside. They squatted on the
grass in a circle around the general
A few minutes after he had begun, the
picture, with its small force OF men IN
khaki cheering every few minutes, their
faces undistinguishable except when
weak breezes famed streaks OF hght
from dying campfires, was one OF
desperate leader calling on a threat
ened people to wake up and prepare
itself against attack.
81 want to say a few words TO
you regarding our methods of raising
an army and the fallacies of these
methods" General Wood began.
"The perfectly asinine statement mas
been made that we can raise an army
of one million men between sunrise
and sunset. This assembly of you men
here at this camp is an answer TO that
sort of foolish talk"
This produced a slight cheer. the
men sat up attentively, but seemed TO
be uncertain Of the propriety OF ap-
plauding.
"The talk Of a volunteer army is all
foolishness. There is no such thing as
voluntary service. Every citizen owes
an obligator yservice to his country
The trouble is that this fact is not
recognized as it should be:
"There are many amiable old ladies'
know. who think that you nave re-
sponded to the call of the wild. fer-
sonally, hope that il means the oeGih-
ming Of the response Of as many maies
as we have. left"
General Wood finished the sentence
with the faintest indication OF smile,
hut his hearers broke into laughter.
az hope when you go away from mere
YOU will use your influence AS goou
American citizens, in contrast 10 the
ignorant masses by whom you must not
he influenced, 10 do all withln your
power to help obtain good sane legiS-
latlOn for the eSlADIlSHihS"N NA ''
ouate armament.
"Our system ot raising volunteers
has always been a failure.
Warns of Invasion Peril.
washington warned us earnestly
oven in his day against depending on
volunteers for our natonai ueienoe'
II might have been well enough In ms
dsv to depend on volunteers, when the
ocean meant isolation for us. But now
when the ocean is only five days vide
il is instead Of an aid TO isolation
ready means of access
"Tbe nations whom we apprchend
are prepared; the nations who are COM
ing 10 US are prepared. We cantake care
of the little ones, in our own good way
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