The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-10-17
STILL NEEDS MEN
TO GUARD BORDER
President Tells whitman Of Conditions
Which Demand Retention of
Guard There.

Long Branch. n. j., Oct.14-Presi-
dent Wilson. in letter to Gov Whit
man made public here today, declared
that the emergency which caused the
! sending of the militia to the Mexican
border "unhappily still exists
: He added, however, that he believ-
ed conditions in northern Mexico are
improving and that "in the near fu-
ture" it probably Will be possible to
"do more than has been done to re-
lieve the endorsements under which
organized militia regiments have nee
essarily suffered"
The presidents letter says IN part:
"My Dear Gov. Whitman
81 have received your letter Of Sep
tember 20 and have taken up with
the secretary of war the situation as
it affects the presence of New York
troops on the border. From the be-
! ginning of the difficulty which neces-
STATED the call for the militia, l have
been deeply sensitive of the inconven-
ience caused to the members CT these
citizen military organizations by their
separation from their families and
from their ordinary business engage
ments and pursuits.
"In order to minimize these sac
rifces, the war department is sending
to the border from time to time mill
tia which have not participated in the
service there, and as each fresh con>
! tingent goes to the border Gen Funs-
ton selects for return to their home
stations and mastering out such units
as in his judgment can best be. spared.
This policy VIII distribute this duty
over as wide an area as possible and
make it's burden fall as equally as IS
practicable upon the organized militia
forces. The emergency which
led to the call of the militia, was, as
defined in my call of June IS, the pos
sibility of aggression from Mexico and
the protection of our frontier. This
emergency still unhappily exists and
! | am advised by the military author
tiles that the withdrawal of the militia
at any time from the date of its origl-
nal call up to and including the pres
ent, would, in all human likelihood,
have been followed by fresh agres-
sion from Mexico upon the lives and
property of the people of the United
States. The militia have, therefore,
been used and are being used to repel
| invasion and are rendering services
of the highest quality and most ur-
gently needed character to their coun-
try.
1t would, Of course, be impossible
! to set a date at which the release OF
the remaining New York units can
with certainty be accomplished. l am
happy, however, to believe that the
condition in northern Mexico is i'm
proving so that in the near future
we will be able to do even more than
has been done to relieve the embar-
rassments under which these organ
lied militia regiments have neces-
sarily suffered.
81 share your admiration, my dear
governor, for the spirit in which these
men have served and are serving
their country and would be very sorry
to have it supposed that their reten-
ton On the border is for any mere
purpose of completion of their mill
tary training or any less commanding
purpose than the preservation of our
! frontier from aggression.
"Very truly yours,
(Signed) woodrow, Wilson.