New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1916-10-14
ARMY STILL NEEDED ON
BORDER, WILSON DECLARES
Which Led Him
to Call the National
Guard, Still Exists, Says
President.

Long Branch, NJ J., Oct. IA
President Wilson in a letter to Gov
ernor Whitman Of New York, sent
October and made public here to-
day, declared that the emergency
which caused the sending of the
militia to the Mexican border "unhap-
PLY still exists" He added, however,
that he believed conditions in north
ern Mexico are improving and that
Sin the near future it probably will
be possible to do more than has been
. done to relieve the embarrassments
under which organized militia regi-
ments have necessarily suffered"
! President Wilson wrote to Governor
Whitman in answer to a letter from
the New York executive regarding
the New York militia organizations on
the border. The president told Mr.
Whitman that it was impossible to
set a date on which the remaining
New York regiments there could be
released
| The president in his letter declared
! he had been advised by the war de-
PAL tment that a withdrawal of the
militia at any time since they were
sent to the border would in all HUI
man likelihood have been followed by
fresh aggressions from Mexico upon
| the lives and property of the people
| of the United States"
Tribute to Militiamen.
In his letter the president paid
| tribute to the character of the militia
men and denied that any organizations
were being kept on the border to per-
feet their military training.
The presidents letter follows:
MY, dear Governor Whitman: I
have received your letter of Sept. 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 beginning of the
difficulty which necessitated the call
for the militia, / have been deeply
sensitive Of the Inconvenience caused
to members of these citizen military
] organization by their separation from
their families and from their ordinary
business engagements and pursuits.
"In order to minimize these sacri-
! fees, the war departing t is sending to
! the border from time to time militia
| which have not participated in the SER
| vice there, and as each fresh contin-
gent goes to the border, General
| Funston selects for return to their
! home stations and mastering out such
| units as in his judgment can best be
| spared. This policy will distribute
| this duty over as wide an area as pos
! sible and make it's burden fall as
equally as is practicable upon the or
! ganized militia forces. 1t has already
resulted in the return Of number of
New York organizations X x
Danger in Withdrawal.
"The emergency which led to the
call of the militia was, as defined In
my call of June IS, the possibility of
aggression from Mexico and the pro-
lection of our frontier. This emer-
gency still unhappily exists, and L am
advised by the military authorities
that the withdrawal of the militia at
any time from the date Of Its call up
to and including the present would. In
all human likelihood, have been fol-
lowed by fresh aggressions from Mex
leo upon the lives and the property OF
the people of the United States. The
militia have therefore been used and
are being used to repel invasion and
itv and most urgently needed charac-
ter to their country.
TT would of course be impossible to
set a date at which the release of the
remaining New York units can with
certainty be accomplished I am hap
by, however, to believe that the condi-
ton in northern Mexico Is improving
and that in the near future we will be
able to do even more than has been
done to relieve the endorsements
under which these organized militia
regiments have necessarily suffered.
"I share your admiration my dear
Governor, for the spirit in which these
men have served their country, and
would be very sorry to have it sup
posed that their detention on the Dor
der is for any mere purpose of COM
pletion of their military training or
any less commanding purpose than the
preservation of our frontier from ag-
erosion.
Very truly yours,
(Signed) WOODROW WILSON,"
BERLIN CASE UNDECIDED.