Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-02-02
.CAUsT|C REPLY
To CHAMBERlA
BY SECRETARY
Garrison Objects to Army
Measures Being Referred to
by Chairman Of Senate
Committee as 0PiecemeaL !

tsr nosano Journal seeciNl lsssrn wieu
washington, Feb Secretary
Garrison tonight made public "a let.
ter he had addressed to senator
Chamberlain, chairman OF the sem
ate military committee, sharply OBJ
iceting to characterization OF pend
ing administration bills Go strengthen
the army as pieccmcul legislation
and declaring that unless congress
will provide the trained personnel to
man thcm. the couutrNs coast de-
Tense guns might os well be dis
mantlcd.
Senatot Chamberlain recently
wrote TO the secretary advising that
congress would he unable TO enact
the "piecomcaf' legislation proposed
nv the war department and asking
that the department submit gener-
al measure for reorganization OF the
army based on plan drafted by the
general staff
In his reply Secretary Garrison
suggested that persons outside OF the
department were getting the com
mittee's ear and intimated that an Of
ncer OF the general staff had peen
transferred from washington some
time ago on account OF his activities
In this connection
This officer, whose name neither
the secretary on senator Chamber
lain would dyulge, Mr. Garrison said
was continuing his activities and hea
'caused his views GO be puhilshed III
several newspapers
After expressing regret NJ lh' Az
Htude of the senator toward IN"
nendlnu bills which he Thought Wen
heartily approved by the commn'ee'
Mr.. Garrison said
Il could understand opposl''oi'
based upon the financial requirement.
or proceeding from those VINO arr
convinced that nothing should pc
done 70 strengthen or Improve our
military situation
"If We could deal with the question
/ ideally. the proper way 20 do SO woaiV
be 10 prepare one great hlll empleV
/ ing everything aud ask that II be ac'
cepted as a whole and thus ehaVtNu
When came 20 consider the recon-
mendatlons which J had made y
congress the plan 20 obtain me com
pletion Of the units we already pos
sossed seemed to me TO be ahsoluteN
convincing
"Other recommendation wei'
along he lines of the military polio
recommended by the general starr. !
~ a eac. that an the bills had the ap
proval Of the general staff, except
INA TIE coast artillery increase DIT
That did not proceed from the gen
eral stair ana It may be that othe'
branches Of the army represented =
that staff would not approve OF IN
creasine the coast artillery In a lars
er proportion that you Increased otn'
or branches Of the service.
Here again Il is matter Of JUG
mont and felt that since we were
woefullv behind in furnishing oni
auota for this essential work, ",
should make that up even u Il pro
aueed dispronortion Az sou know
~. hoVe spent n least 60.000,000 m
coast defenso5 and have relied upon
the national euprd 10 furnish on I.
half the personnel and have agreed
10 Furnish the ether half from the
/ regular army -
AThe national guard has not been
able to fulfll It's paft ana we nave
not come anywhere near filling our
part. All TINT am asking Tor y
that we should live up 10 our own
agreement IN this respect
A. 4. IA "a n lac
sitnation that we cannot longer per
NIT to endure. that these grcnt coast
defense forts should have 90 trained
personnel to humble them. This per-
sonnet can not be lnprov'sed, and tha
etns might as well he disnaMtled u
we are not 10 have trained men to
handle them
II entirely agree With you that
pieormeai Legislation, ia the sense IN
which that word IS property applied,
Is tad.
you viii understand that the gen
efal staff as whole, has never pass
ed upon the bli Ia Question tfor gem
eral reorganization nor hns Il passed
upon the question OF whether II would
be advisable IN view OF All the things
which must be kept tn mind IL we are
to ba guided by wisdom to prraent
one comprehensive bin deailng with
the whole stuation AZ one time.
n note in your letter that you felt
nothing can be accomplished Of any
sort al this session excepting the tul.
tine appropriation bill There Is
therefore no need fot my immediate
consideration OF this subject matter.
will give It consideration with a
view to such action as may be later
| advised
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