The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-04-11
Secretary of War Asserts That
a Larger Standing Army
is Needed.
esr AaaeeIArEe rREsa1

N1E1W YORK, April j {. Iltndley ,M
Garrison, secretary OF war. in a dis
cussion Of national defense at a ban
Duet Of the Democratic Club OF west
chester county here tonight, declared
that no one who suspected that peace
was to be obtained through feebleness
should be listened To. and that '.at-
horrence OF war and love OF peace are
thoroughly consistent with wise milf
tary precautions''
The problem OF what mi tary nol-
tcy the United States should adopt and
pursue. he said IS here now for our
Solution. We have no right Mr..
Garrison declared, from any stand
point to evade 1t or avoid it; we must
realize our responsible lily, fearless1y
face the facts, and do those things
which are wise and proper in the cir-
cumstances. Forethought and precau-
ton are distingu gushing differences be
tween wisdom and folly.
This obligation. he continued.
does not arise solely out of a selfish
Iconsid Grafton Of our personal safety:
It was undertaken in our name by: the
founders Of the government. who
promised to provide for the common
defense on behalf Of themselves and
their posterity; and therefore, as trus-
tees OF those who are to come after
Es, We have no right to leave them
exposed to the hazards of the future
without having provided the safe
guards which reason Dictates
Need of Larger Army.
MT Garrison asserted that the need
OF more OF standing army than We
now have is a. fact patent to every
one Who considers the subject. and
that there was imperative need OF
trained reserves.
The mobile military force in the
United States, he said, was less than
80 900 men, while Of the organized
militia. 1t was not expected by those
who know, that anything like their
full numbers would respond to the
call for national service
This is an exceptionally opportune
tim g. MIR Garrison continued. "to
consider this question, while the war
IN Europe has conferred the attention
OF our people upon the subject ma tier.
we have no aggressive intention
against any nation and there IS no
hint of any such aggressive intention
On the part of any nation against us.
The subject itself has nothing nov
Ell in it. From the foundati Of the
government to the present time III has
received careful considerat of those
whose responsibilities or experience
caused them to comprehend the sit
uafion. ALI such practically reached
similar conclusions aS.Sto the inrper-
attye need OF proper m aasiires or pre-
canton. ortunately, for one rea-
son or another, they were never able
to cause the enact1n ent OF their con-
I clusions into permanent form. and
when occasion required, resort was
had to madeshifts and expedients, with
all OF the. disastrous and hunliliating
results OF such mad equate treatment
Of this vital subject.
Public Opinion Essential.
When the public opinion or this
country has determined upon what
general principles its military policy
shall be founded. there will be no
difficulty in working out the details
and putting the same into effect. The
difficulty has been. and is to get the
matter SO Drought home to the indi-
YiduaI citizen that he will realize its
vital Importance. give it his best at
tention. and aid in its wise solution.
The difficulties inhering in the nature
of the subject are great enough with
ort the mist ortune of l-titicial OBJ
stac1es placed in the way OF its wise