Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-08-08
THE MILITIA BLUNDER.

TIE MILL IA oIONS@"'
Congressman are being goaded b!
business and other interests all Owe
the country to take some action re
garding the militia on the border. Mr.
of Michigan, on Monday, II
the senate said:
II am we'll satisfied that nothing
could possibly occur which would
induce the ordering Of the Amerl-
can troops into Mexico; and l am
unable to satisfy myself as to the
wisdom that Is being displayed, or
the lack of it, in sending so many
of our northern boys down to the
Mexican border. Indeed, it occurs
to me that it is nothing less than
an outrage, in view of the facts as
they present themselves at the
present time.
II feel very deeply about this
subject of the Mexican situation,
and have so felt for weeks am
receiving letters from people in
my state, the writer's of which
have had the patriotism to permit
their sons to enlist in the militia,
believing that they were going to
Mexico for the purpose of defend
ing their country; that there was
demand for them at the frontier.
They recognize now that these
boys are being sent from northern
climates down there to enter SUN
struck camps on the border with
out any prospect, Of their being
utilized at all in the defense of the
country. These boys ought to be
home, under the circumstances.
They ought to be returned to their
schools and their various voca-
lions at home If their country does
not need them. to. the things
which they have given up with ."
the thought that their country's
honor and defence required their
services" ...-.
The Merchants Association Of New
York has taken up this matter seri
ously and is urging upon the authori
ties at Washington, action in accord
ance with the report of the military
of the association. These
are for the recall oi
the national guard and for repeal OF
The statute federalizing the national
guard. The committee says that in
many cases thirty per cent, and in
ZONE cases over fifty per cent, of the
national guard, called into the federal
service, have been found to be physic
ally unfit, while approximately one.
third of the men of the national guard
now at the border or ordered to the
border are raw recruits, without any
military training whatever; also a
large proportion are inside men from
Offices and inside occupations, and
therefore, until properly trained and
hardened, are physically unfit for con
tinuous service on the border in a most
trying climate
The committee recommends that the
national guardsmen be recalled from
he border at the earliest possible op
portunity, thereby reducing sickness
and fatality to a minimum, and return
ing these men as economic factors tC
heir productive occupations. The re-
peal of the law federalizing the ma
donal guard Is urgently advocated
with substitution of a sound and de-
pendable military policy advised by
experts. a
Congress and especially this con
yress, has steadily declined to take
expert advice not only on military mat
.ers, but on business matters.
The merchants association repre-
sents enormous business interests In
its membership and has seen fit to en-.
leavor to impress the business view
upon congress in important matters
affecting the country's commerce from
Tine to time. Its representations as
70 the shipping bill, in accord with
hose of the chamber of commerce OF
New York City and of the United
States Chamber of Commerce, have
been completely ignored. The military
policy heretofore advocated by the as
ISOLATION includes increase of the reg
llar army to 275,000 to 100000 men {:
military training for the
male population and the creation Of a
second line reserve of 100000 to 1000
700 men. This is all in line with the
BEST expert advice, because business
mike politics, invariably seeks expert
opinion to base it's own upon.
What has been accomplished thus
ar at Washington under the Hay bill
IS far away from expert f1ndings-The
Bache Review. ....
Senator Vardaman of Missippi has
! high opinion of Iowa as an agricuI.
y - a u t. I, -,