Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1916-01-22
GARR|SON'S PLAN
GETS ST|MSON'S
AND ROOTS 0. X.
Former Republican War De-
partment Heads Give Their
Endorsements.
STRONG SUPPORT FOR
CONTINENTAL SCHEME
National Guard State Force.
Citizen-SoIdiery ExtoIled at
Security League Meeting.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22-Two for
mer secretaries of war, Elihu Root
Republican, and Henry l.. Stimson
Progressive Republican, today in
dorsed Secretary Garrison's continen-
tai army plan.
Mr.. Root, in letter to the National
Security Congress, declared the idea
of building up the militia TO take Tho
place of an army under federal con-
troll is absurd
There are good things in Seere-
tary Garrison's plan," he said. "The
doing of them would be progress in
the right direction. Don't lose those
good things even if you find that you
cannot at this time get something
more in the same direction"
In his address before the league
Mr. Stimson gave unqualified in
dorsement to the Garrison plan. He
pointed out, however, that the in
crease could not be too large because
of the expensive maintenance.
MIR. Root served as war secretary
in the cabinets of Presidents IMcI<in-
ley and Roosevelt, the latter transfer
ing him to the head of the state de-
partment during his administration
Mr.. Stimson was President Taft's war
secretary.
Sound Initial Step.
Declaring himself in favor of COM
pulsory universal military service as
the true solution of the defense prob
lem, Mr., Stimson said he regarded
the program now advanced by Sec
rotary Garrison as the sound initial
step.
IF Congress is not ready yet to
sanction universal training" he said
the measures which are enacted
should be those which, so far as they
go, arc in accord with this great fun
damental duty and which. as time
passes and experience ripens, will
lead most naturally to the establish
ment of such system.
Instead of ourselves performing
the most vital duty of citizenship,
said Mr.. Stimson, eve have beer
hiring other men to do it for us
Other democracies have been most
consistent nd Intelligent and today
they are reaping the advantage OF
their action, not only i'm their national
security. but in the stability of char
actcr which their training has given
to the individual.
Guard Is state Force.
Under the Federal constitution
the National Guard or organized
militia is primarily State force in
stead of national reserve and ! do
rot believe that any effective national
citizens army can he created out of
force dominated by forty-eight
separate sovereignties. For nearly
fifteen years strenuous efforts have
been made by the Federal govern
ment, as well as by the State authori-
ties, to increase the number of the
guards, yet il has remained nearly
station ary. The ratio of its enlist
mentS orr population is SO far be-
low that in other English
countries as TO make it clear that
some fundamental defect is at work.
1T seems to me that these defects
can be traced directly to the fact that
the National Guard is in fact State
military force which we are also re-
quirng to do duty for the national
government. So long as such forces
exist the States are tempted TO slur
their police duties and to rely wholly
upon citizen-soldiers for that pur-
pose"
Mr.. Stimson indorsed, as Sound
and intelligent" Secretary Garrison s
plan to bring the regular army up TO
its proper basis. but added that,
personally, he thought the regular
army now should be made larger
still "What is proposed in Congress
and what is likely TO happen" he
AIr KsFi1l
be refused even the regiments for
which he has asked and that instead
sop will be thrown to the sentiment
of the country by merely authorizing
the department to enlist enough more
men to bring our existing regiments
up to full strength. 1t would I'M
doubtedly be a good thing to bring
existing regiments up nearer to full
strength than they now are, but to
make that an excuse or 81 cover for
refusing to add the new regiments
DOW requested to our little army
Would, in my opinion, be very
wrong and a very foolish thing"
Referring to the recent Mexican
border troubles and the demands of
many for punitive expedition, Mr..
Stimson said. at is conceivable that
at almost any time the hands of our
government may be forced by some
such emergency, yet at the present
day, with the great bulk of our army
massed along the Mexican border, we
have only 10000 troops there avail
able for such an expedition, and,
under sober calculation, the MeXicans
have far more armed men and
trained troops available for a puni-
tive expedition into our territory
than we into theirs"
Nat 4t.u .,ttI, Garri.an
Senator Roots letter indorsed Sec
retary Garrison's contention that the
National Guard could not be depend
ed on for the army increase.
ut 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 waste
of all the energy and effort devoted
to it. The National Guard are pri-
marily State troops for State pur-
poses and they must continue to be
SO.
There are good things in Secre-
tary Garrison's plan. The doing of
them would be progress in the right
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 directed toward the goal we ought
to attain-a trained and always avail
able national citizen soldiery under
the instruction and administration