The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-02-21
The Presidents Opinion
of the Navy and Army.


The president made several striking
references to the Army and Navy IN
the course of the speeches he has de-
iivered recently. At Pittsburg he said:
sT am glad that the soldiers and sail
ors of the United States have profess
sionaI enthusiasm, but ] would not
like them to run away with me any
more than I would like the passions
and sentiment of my fellow country
men to run away with me. While we
admire their duties, we must square
their Judgment with other standards
than the professional standards. /
admire every mans professional duty,
but I would not like to be guided by
every mans professional duty. It is
time, therefore, that we attempted at
any rate to apply the standards of
our own situation and Of our own life
on this great question of national de-
Tense"
At Cleveland the same day, speak
ing of the military plans under con-
sideration, he remarked: "Those plans
do not involve a great army, because
that is not Americas way Of being
efficient in respect of her physical
force. We do not intend, we never in
tended, to have an army, standing
army, greater than is necessary for
the ordinary uses of peace. But we
want to have back of that army a
people who can rally to its assistance
In most eficacious fashion at any time
they are called on to do so; but who
in the meantime are not professional
soldiers, who do not take the profess
sional soldiers point of view in re-
spect of public affairs; whose thought
Is upon their daily task of peaceful
industry; who know that the civilian
takes precedence over the soldier in
the United States.
'T have proposed that we should be
supplied with at least 100000 men
accustomed to handle arms and live
in camps. And that is very small
number as compared with the gigan-
tic proportions of modern armies.
And therefore it seems to me that no
man can speak of proposals like that
as if they pointed directly to mill
tarism. When men talk of the threat
of what is proposed ! wonder if they
have really stopped to consider what
is proposed"
At Milwaukee he said: "The Con-
stitution of the United States makes
the president the commander-in-chief
of the army and navy of the nation,
but do not want big army subject
to my personal command. If danger
comes, want to turn to you and the
rest Of my fellow countrynen and |
say, Men, are you ready?' and I know
what the response will be. And that |
is the reason that l am urging upon |
the congress of the United States |
at any rate the beginnings of sys-
tenn by which we may give very
considerable body of our fellow citi-
zens the necessary training.
al have not forgotten the great
National Guard of this country, but in
this country of 100000 900 people
there are only $4,000 men in the
National Guard and the National
Guard, fine as it is, is not subject to
the orders of the president of the
United States. Il is subject to the
orders of the governors of several
states and the constitution itself says
that the president has no right to
withdraw them from their states even
except in the case of actual invasion
of the soil of the United States. /
want the congress of the United
States to do great deal for the Ma
honal Guard, but do not see how the
congress of the United States can
put the National Guard at the dis
posal of the national authorities.
Therefore it seems to me absolutely i.
necessary that in addition to the Ma
tional Guard there should be con-
siderable body of men with some
training in the military art who will
have pledged themselves to come at
the call of the nation. h
''Now there is another misappre-
Eension that do not wish you to en-
terrain. Do not suppose that there is