Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-29

TO congress the most 1dT-redcHiHS
program for national preparedness in
the history of the United States. Rec
ognizing the lessons taught all too
wildly by the past few months, he
has reversed the views of a life
time and has come to realize that a
great people like ours, with such
great resources and such great
coast line must be prepared against
war if permanent peace is to be its
fortune.
A very large part of the people OF
the United States will agree with the
president that it is foolish to continue
as though we are favored peoples and
not give attention to adequate naval
and military resources for our pro-
lection.
AS a part of the policy for ade-
quate land defense, the secretary of
war, with the presidents approval,
has submitted to congress the plan
of a so-called Continental army"
AS a second line of defense, back of
the regular army, increased to 100000
or 100000 men, he would have
civilian army consisting on paper
of some 100000 men whose military
training would be limited to six
weeks or two months in the year,
with little, if any, systematic train
ing between for a period of three
years. approximately two hundred
men of this army are assigned to
each congressional district. officers
and general plan are to be worked
out on paper-the men to be called
out in time of war. The national
guard is to be relegated to the third
line of defense, but its members may
individually become part of the So
called continental army" and they
are invited to do so.
To this policy of creating a new
socalled second army, and RELOCATING
the national guard to an obscure
place, l believe every man who has
given careful study to military af-
fairs will be steadfastly and vigorous
ly opposed. 1t disregards the best
judgment of almost every man COM
petent to judge Of military affairs as
they relate to civilian army in the
United States, entail vastly increased
expenditures and give no actual,
practical and efficient results. In
place Of careful, definite policy, it
hot ittYfn 90
| mite experiment. In all probability,
| 1t would mean that the country is
again, at the beginning of another
war, to depend largely upon raw, I'M
drilled recruits for its soldiers and
sacrifice them by the thousands un-
til the opportunity, if any such is
granted, is presented for adequate
training. More than this, it means the
| destruction of the national guard.
j The continental army would be more
favored, and the young men Of our
nation, who voluntarily enter military
service, would enter the more fav-
ored division.
| Taking the country over, our ma
| tional guard is now more effective
than ever in its history. Careful at
tention to the recommendations of
its skilled officers would, In my be-
lief, shortly make it a far more et-
| fective force for the national defense
than any continental army that can
| be devised. The objection of Secre-
tary Garrison that in involves As
/ distinct manakements, is far more
easily obviated than the creation of a
new and experimental army. A stand
ard national guard system with a ma
tional staff composed of both nation
al guard and regular army officers
would quickly work out a uniform
basis, which, supported by congress
ional financial legislation, would be
adequate to meet every defense.
| do not believe general staff Of
regular army officers should be per-
mitted. Trained as these men are
they do not realize the factors OF
normal civilian life which must be
considered in Connection with volun-
tary service. They are accustomed tc
ordering when they please and have
their orders carried out, no mat
ter what the consequence may be tc
the man to whom the order goes. This
is all right in regular army affairs
but 1t does not work out for a civil.
ian army in time of peace. A nation.
al guard Of both regular army ant
national guard officers In the ma.
jority, would quickly work out a uni
form plan that would give the coun,
try an effective second line of ser
vice at minimum expense.
The enlistment of the nationa
guardsmen in the army of the United
States at the time of their enlistment
in the national guard would eliminat,
another difficulty without the neces
sity of a constitutional amendment
This would obviate the objection tina
national guardsmen could not be tax
en- out of the United States. At tn,
same time the national guards SHOULD
be relieved OF police duties. such a,
are required in strikes, and which
are better take care of by small
constabulary force
The working out of these plans
accompanied by an increase OF tn,
national guard to two or three time,
its present size. together with an AIDE
onate salary scale of say nerhan,