Evening journal., 1915-04-20
SAFETY ONLY IN
NATIONAL Defense
Congressman Miller Tells
Civil War Veterans Pres
ent Plan is Weak
GENERAL PALMER
ENDORSES THE IDEA

morning. A pleasing feature of the
campfire was an address by General
David J. Palmer of Des Moines. Iowa,
commander-in-chief of the G.. A. r.
The hall was filed Besides the vet
Grams themselves there were present.
members of the Sons of Veterans,
Ladies OF the G. A. r., and other pa
triotic organizations.
Richard w buckingham of Pleas
ant Hill, past commander of Captain
Reynolds Post, No 3, presided. and in
calling the veterans TO order said the
affair was to be an open campfire and
a reception 10 Commander-in-Ch
Palmer and the State officers.
In the absence of Mayor Harrison
w Howell, President of City Council
William p White presented the keys
of the city TO General Palmer and the
visiting veterans He said the city
was highly honored by their presence.
He stated that while he never had an
exalted opinion OF himself. he had less
when standing before the G.. A. r..
the men who made the government
possible He expressed the hope that
General palmer's stay here would be
profitable both TO himself and to the
Grand Army.
Commander-in-Chie Palmer was
then introduced and was given cor
dial welcome. He said he had made
trip from the coast west and from the
coast east and was now on his way
TO the middle west He said he had
visited all the States but New York and
Pennsylvania, which he had not visit
cd because the G.. A. r. is so well or
ganized there that it does not re-
quire his presence. He stated that
wherever he had gone he had cndeav-
orod TO encourage the organizations al
lied with the G. A. r.. which are the
Women's Relief Corps. Ladies of the
G. A. r., Sons Of Veterans and Daugh-
ters OF Veterans, which he said were
all aiming to help the G. A. r.
He said We did not know what may
happen TO this country in the near
I future. as no one knew ten days before
the great European War that IL was
4 going TO occur He declared that il
was the duty OF the veterans TO teach
the boys and girls to protect Uncle
Sam.
The future Of the country, he said
WAS in the hands of the youth Th
4 Civil War, he declared, was a boys war
as more than 100000 engaged in it wer'
around the age Of l6 years.
General Palmer referred the attcmpl
TO change the form of the American aag
which he declared was an outlandisl
idea. lie said that an effort should b,
made to get every veteran in the G.. a
r. The membership of the G. A. r. I,
| lil 600 at present while there az,
100000 veterans ON the pension rolls
lie said he could not understand win,
all the old soldiers were not members oil
the G. A. r. He urged increasing th,
widows pensions from Sl2 month Z,
at least SIS. He asked how any widow
at the age of so could live on sl2 8
month. lie said that an effort wa,
being made to remove the Limitation
which prevents veterans widow get
| ting a pension who was married sine,
1890. He said a woman who married
any of tue old veterans present ane
lived with him a year should get a pen
sion, which caused a laugh. He urge,
that the country be well prepared foi
war. He said he would rather spens
three or four millions in gunboats thar
that one of our boys in his teens shoulC
lose his life.
Commander John r. Reihms, oi
Smyrna, Department of Delaware, told
of how he went TO the war when moi
quite p years of age and served nearly
] three years. He said he was proud OF
the fact that he was at Appomatos
when Lee surrendered
Congressman Thomas w. Miller spoke
at length on national defense. Alr. Mil
Ter said in part:
Pleads for Adequate Army.
1T is as essential for a nation TO be
prepared to have adequate land and
naval forces for defense as Il is for
a business man to take out insurance.
AT the present time the United
States spends annually upon its army
and navy 100000, 100000. but un-
fortunately the military and naval
establishments do not receive the full
benefit of these vast expenditures
| viewed from the standpoint OF an
/ army and navy for defensive purposes.
Although ! am an advocate OF a larger
army than we have at the present
time and more homogeneous navy
and naval establishment, / think that
we should learn how TO expend our
money with an eye TO the greatest
amount of value received and effici-
ency before the annual expenditures
for the army and navy are increased
by Congress.
AT the present time the army OF
the United States. numbering about
10000 men is scattered throughout
the country in over half hundred
army posts Only about 10000 OF these
troops, not quite one-half. are in the
continental United States. Those in
the United States are scattered in
about thirty-five army posts quarter
ing anywhere from few companies
to full regiment. Under this
practice our officers have hardly any
experience except at the annual army
manouevers in handling even full
regiment to say nothing of brigade
-Four years ago when this country
desired to make a military demon.
stration on the Rio Grande against
Mexican regiments which should have
totaled 10000 troops were ordered tc
the border BY actual count there
we're hardly more than $4,000 present
and TO make this number the Coasi
Artillery forts from the Virginia
capos 20 the Canadian border were
Continued on Second Page.