The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-08-05

The decision will be an important
one, and it is safe to say that it will
not be Influenced in the slightest de-
gree by the pumped-up activities OF
the Navy league. or the artificial char
acter of the propaganda of the Sc
curity league. These may cut a con-
siderable figure in certain newspapers,
but it is pointed out here that when
the National Security league held its
recent conference in New York city
delegates and spectators never ran
over 100 at one time, and the parquet
of Carnegie Hall was only half-filled
when the conference was addressed
by couple Of ex-secretaries of war.
Just as it is perfectly plain here that
there is far more talk of war in the
East than in the West. so there is
very little heard here from the Mid
die West or the Pacific coast about
the need of increased armament.
Some influential newspapers like
those in Chicago favor increased mil
itary burdens and expenditures, but
many similar Western papers like the
Topeka Capital, the property Of the
Republican governor of Kansas. are
strongly opposed to what they call
Initiating the militaristic folly OF
Europe"
Views of Hay and Chamberlain.
1t is to be supposed that the presi-
dent will consult with party leaders
like Representative Hay, the chair
man of the house military affairs COM
mittee, and Senator Chamberlain, of
the senate military affairs committee.
These men have almost diametrically
opposed views. MIR. Chamberlain is
an ardent champion of Mr.. Garrison's
proposals, while Mr.. Hay last spring
was wholly opposed to any increases.
In a recent interview, he has modi-
fed this position, at least to the eX-
tent of advocating the passage of the
militia pay bill, one of the most per-
nicious measures advocated in recent
years, in that the expenditure will
run into an untold sum, sum that no
body can estimate, and that will car
ry with it the formation of another
dangerous military machine and lob
by. 1t is proposed, for instance, to
pay the national militia, which has
been from the foundation of the gov
ernment ready to serve for nothing,
so cents a night for attendance at
drill. 1t is submitted that there is
nothing in the history of our pension
legislation which would warrant any
body in thinking that this rate Of
pay, if fixed now, will stand unchang-
ed very long. There will be progress
sive increases precisely as in the his
tory of our pension legislation. More
over, federal pay for State militia
means the final breakdown of State
control of militia. The powers OF
the State have already been tremen-
dously. encroached upon by the Pro-
visions OF the Dick law, and the ap-
plication thereof by the war depart
ment, which now dictates to the in
dividual States what companies shall
be permitted to remain in the service
and what shall be mustered out.
Federal Control of the Militia.
Already one hears the argument
that the United States had better
frankly take over the militia and run
it to suit itself, as it does that Of the
District OF Columbia, and that then
a new force should be created which
should be State affair. If this were
done it would create the national re-
serve force which Secretary Root urg-
ed years ago, but which he desired
to obtain in a different way. In this
connection it is pointed out here that
some of the militia officers who were
at first eager for this legislation have
become convinced that it would ere
ate Frankenstein," have withdrawn
from the propaganda, and are now
working against the measure which
they formerly advocated. One of
these is Col. William A. Bates, Of the
Senventy-first New York regiment.
This is but one of a number of
problems that the president must
solve with regard to the army and
the navy. Beyond all, he must decide
whether his party is to yield to the
hue and cry for more men and guns
and ships that is going on in certain
quarters during this war, or shall
wait until it is over for calm con-
sideraticu of the situation in which
the world then finds itself. 1t is a
natural tendency of politicians to
compromise in a case of this kind:
the old Roosevelt principle of meet
ing a dangerous propaganda by CIV