New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-08
MAYOR RIDIClJLES
CITY ARMY STORY
No Move to Drill Mi
nicipal Employees, lie
Says on Return.
HAS NOT ACTED
ON APPOINTMENTS
Praises Work of Plattsburg
Camp as Aid to National De-
fence in Emergency.

Navor Mitchell was ar City Hall yes
terday gathering together the threads
Of the business after his vacation spent
az the training camp at Plattsburg
He characterized as ridiculous a news
paper story of military training lor
city employees. .
Although he has given consideration
IN the successors Of Corporation Couh-
sci Polk and Commissioner Golcwater
OF the Health Department, the Mayor
said he had not reached any decision
az 70 who the men would be. lie also
has a municipal court justice TO APP
point in the 9th District.
: On political conditions the Mayor
would make no comment. remarKlng
0rimlv there had not been time TO READ
the papers at camp and he mad not
heen back long enough to get an under
standing Of the situation.
The Mayor said ne was delighted
with his new Offices, which he occupied
for the first time. They were remod-
elled BY Charles T. Wills, Inc. One
thing touched the Mayor exceedingly:
On his desk was a large vase full OF
American Beauty roses and giadioias.
Mr.. Wills. the builder. who died last
week. gave the order for them just
day or so before his death.
The Mayor was enthusiastic about
the success of the military camp. lts
two main objects had been accom-
plshed. he asserted.
THE first object" he said, "was TO
Give the members that initial and ele-
mentary training in the use OF arms
and the command of military forces,
which. if followed by more advanced
and by more thorough training. would
III them to become officers in the event
of national emergency. NO one
claims that any of US by virtue Of
those four weeks of instruction alone
is now competent to command troops.
On the contrary, we appreciate now
how little competent we are.
ave have received. however, ground
work which easily can be built upon
to make of these 1900 men material
fit to supplement with officers the ma
toms meagre quota of trained regulars
and militia.
Second. and far more important,
this encampment by practical demon
gtration has taught 1900 Of the repre-
sentative men of the nation the futillty
of relying upon volunteer armies IN
case Of need, and the certain national
disaster that would follow continue
ton of that national policy. We know
now in o way that arguments never can
bri. home that a soldier, much less
an officer. cannot be made in a few
weeks of training and that it would be
a crime against our people, amounting
20 nothing less than national suicide,
TO send into the field armies manned
and Differed by unframed volunteers.
The country must needs learn these
lessons, the Mayor AIDED, if it viii pre-
serve its free institutions and main
tain its position of dignity and indie
pendence among the nations OF the
world.
As for those who had criticised him
for going to the camp, the Mayor re.
marked that il was a matter purely OIL
his own concern if he chose to spend
his vacation furthering an object IN
which he was heartily interested.
Asked if he had any plans for de-
veloping military training in this city,
the Mayor replied:
"A scheme Of national defence is now
being worked out in Washington, and
il would be futile for us 10 attempt
anything until such plan has been
promulgated. Then it will be the duty
of every state and city do all IN its
power to assist the work"
The Mayor was annoyed at a story
in an afternoon paper stating that the
volunteer committee formed at Platts-
burg would meet here soon to consider
an idea of training the city employees
as well as adopting something like the
Swiss system of training in the public
schools. He said it had no founda-
tion whatever