Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-22
ARMY PLAN IS ENDORSED
BY EX-WAR HEAD
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Continued from Page One.)


militias are held to comparatively long
periods with the colors under a sys-
TEN of weekly armory drills, a system
which is not only the least effective
way of teaching man to be soldier,
but also tends, from the length OF time
during which it imposes a continual
though slight obligation on him, to dis
courage enlistment
Nothing should be done to discour-
age its work but, on the other hand,
everything to stimulate and encourage
it. Such encouragement should be in
the direction of transferring it wholly
into the service of the federal govern
ment and not of perpetuating it in its
present status. Particularly, to grant
federal pay to the individual militia
men for his weekly service rendered
to the state, seems to blur the great
lesson which is emerging from the
European war. 1t is to yield again
to the theory that we can induce men
to serve their country, not as duty Of
patriotism but for pay"
Mr. Stimson endorsed as sound and
intelligent" Secretary Garrison's plan
to bring the regular army up to its
proper basis, but added that, person
ally, he thought the regular army now
should be made larger still.
Sees Disappointment Ahead.
What is proposed in congress and
what is likely to happen" he continued,
"is that Mr.. Garrison will be refused
even the regiments for which he has
asked and that instead a sop will be
thrown to the sentiment of the country
by merely authorizing the department
to enlist enough more men to bring our
I existing regiments up to full strength.
To refuse to add the new regiments
now requested to our little army would,
in my opinion, be very foolish
thing"
Referring to the recent Mexican Dor
der troubles and the demands of many
for a punitive expedition Mr.. Stimson
said, "it is conceivable that at almost
any time the hands of our government
may be forced by some such emer-
gency, yet at the present day, with the
great bulk of our army massed along
the Mexican border, we have only TO-
600 troops there available for such an
expedition and, under sober calcula-
tions, the Mexicans have far more
armed men and trained troops avail
able for a punitive expedition into our
territory than we into their country"
A letter by Eluhu Root, former sec
rotary of state, on military condi-
tions," endorsed Secretary Garrison's
contention that the national guard
could not be depended on for the army
increase.
1T is idle" wrote Mr. Root, ito
talk of developing the national guard
itself into an adequate army for ma
tional defense and any such attempt
would inevitably result in the failure
of the whole movement and the waste
/ of all the energy and effort devoted
TO it. The national guard are primar-
d! lily state troops for state purposes
/ and they must continue to be SO.
There are good things in Secretary
| Garrisons plan. The doing of them
would be progress in the right direc-
! ton. Don't lose these good things
even though. you may find that you
can't at this time get something more
/ in the same direction. But in the
meantime let us take the first steps
on any sort Of program that is di-
rected toward the goal We ought to
attain-trained and always available
national citizen soldiery under the
! instruction and administration and
formative leadership of an adequate,
though small regular army"
Root Fay0rs Plan.
St Louis, Jan. 22.-Two former sec
retaries of war, both under republican
administrations, today endorsed Sec
rotary Garrison's army program.
Elihu Root, in a letter read before
It the National Security league, declared
that there are good things in Secre-
tary Garrison's plan. The doing of
them would be progress in the right
direction. Don't lose these good things.
even though you find that you can't
at this time get something more in the
same direction"
Henry l.. Stimson, in speech ad-
voeating compulsory universal mill
tary service as the real solution of
! national defense, endorsed Secretary
; Garrison's plan as sound and intelli-
} gent" and advocated its adoption, IF
! congress Is not yet ready TO sanction