The Washington times., 1916-02-11
MR.. oARRIsoN's RESIGNATION

All the circumstances that led to
the resignation Of Secretary Of War
Garrison point to Congressman
James Hay as his logical successor,
In effect, the President was forced
to choose between Garrison and Hay,
and he chose Hay. Mr.. Hay had the
powerful advantage Of being chair
man Of the Military Affairs Commit
tee; but seemingly he was able, as a
matter Of intellectual appeal, to win
the President to his side Of the de-
bate as TO methods for increasing
the military establishment.
Mr.. Hay from the beginning has
been opposed to the continental
army, which was the basis and most
of the substance of the Garrison
scheme. II is not needful to reflect
on Secretary Garrison, to say that IL
he had had as much experience with
managing Legislative proceedings as
some other Cabinet members possess,
he would probably have realized a
number Of weeks ago that the con-
tinental army plan, right or wrong,
was not going to succeed. Right or
wrong, that plan looked to most leg
islators like a further dilution of a
system already neither coherent nor
effective. To an utterly inadequate
regular army and an irresponsible
patchwork of militia controlled by
the States, it was proposed to add a
continental or territorial army that
would be neither regular nor militia.
Perhaps the project would have
worked out. 1t is not wholly unlike
the British territorial plan, from
which in large part it seems to
have been borrowed. But the legis-
lators were never convinced of its
adequacy, and with the retirement Of
Er. Garrison the plan may be =
garded as hopeless.
There will be all sorts Of express
sion concerning the justification for
the Secretary's resignation at such a
time. Without doubt he has precipi-
tated real crisis in Administration
affairs; he has exposed it's weak
nesses and divergences Of counsel.
He has shown himself as a vigorous,
fighting, sincere man and self-re-
specting. executive; it is not so sure
that he has added to the Administra-
tion's repute for definiteness of con-
viction or firmness of course.
But a crisis Of this kind is not al
together undesirable. It will clear
the air, and probably win promote
means Of agreement where there was
increasing appearance Of a deadlock
developing. AS to the general prin-
ciple of designations in such case, a
good deal is to be said in favor Of
the frank, straightforward conti-
mental and British fashion of cabinet
ministers resigning when they can
not conscientiously go along with
the government. If there were more
Of the disposition among American
public men to retire when they get
into impossible jams, it would be
better for the public service.
Secretary Garrison goes from the
War Department with a record of
good hard work and sincere effort.
He has shown disposition to be a
bureaucrat. He has not been very
charitable at times with either the
military experts nor the legislative
authorities with whom he was COM
pelled to deal. His complaint that
the President did not support him is
only an echo of what many another
Cabinet officer under this and other
Administrations has felt. But it re-
mains a fact that the military ex-
perts are Of significance, and that the
Legislature still does the legislating.
He was too strong a man to yield
cheerfully when he had concluded
his own opinions, and he declined to
attempt being a mere reflection of .
composite of other mems views