The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-03-18
what extent I am unable to predict
the letters added.
Gardner SAYS Its All Wrong.

what extent I am unable To predict,
the letters added.
Gardner Says Its All Wrong.
Representative Gardner. in discuss.
ing the bll said.
This bill makes noise like pre-
paredness; bat it isn't a noisy noise.
1t is about as loud at the tick of a
watch or the still small voice of a
conscience. 1t hasn't even Weakened
rr Henry Ford. Regular army men
are exactly what We want and need.
There is nothing on earth that
comes within gunshot of being prac-
ticaliy as good as the regular army
men No amateur soldier can any
more compare with a professional sol
dier than an amateur plumber can
compare with a professional plum Ger.
The lawyer who spends six days q
week lawyering and one day a week
soldering is pretty certain to be six
time as good a lawyer as he s a
soldier. This Is the fundamental
trouble with your militia. Further
more, | have not been carried away
with this idea of an army OF has
beens or reserves. as they are called
that is to say. an army largely made
up of men who once upon time
have done real turn at soldering.
1t may be all right to have supple
lltithl bTiIlR VI tA-sDIuiSlS, bhA nave
notion that the cheapest thing in
the long run will be to maintain 4
good sized regular force Of about
900. 900 men and then train our boys
so that they will all know sometime
about how II fight II need he.
Thinks Nothing OF liberalization.
II think nothing at all of the al
legged liberalization OF the militia
provided in the Hay and the Cham
| beriaia biiis.- You cart feailF-fea-
eralize your militia so long as the
States appoint the officers. and | con-
! fess that don't see the logic of Uncle
! Sam paying soldiers that some one
| else commands. Think of 1t: This Hay
| bill and the Chamberlain bill, also. for
| that matter. actually proposes that
| the State Governors shall continue &c
| command these forty eight little
armies while the nation pays biz
share OF the bin. Suppose that some
! Governor were to order out his army
TO suppress a strike, Don't you think
that Uncle Sam ought TO have a RICH;
to say halt if he did not approve
the question? Well, If you pass either
one OF these bills. Uncle Sam will
not have a word to say about it, He
can pay the piper. but he cant name
the tune.
What in the world Is the use OF
having an elaborate war college here
IN Washington If we refuse to pay
the slightest attention to anything
| which il SAYS? Last summer. the
President asked for a report as tt
our needs In the way of army. The
war college replied. that we needed
500 regulars and 100000 reservt
regulars, not reserve militiamen, t.
make us safe against invasion. in cas'
our navy were unable TO retain con
troll OF the seas. Instead of this fore
the Hay bill gives us in all 10000
regulars and $4,000 reserve regulars
Instead of $50. 900 the Hay bill give
us 200, 900 regulars and regular-has
beens For the balance we are tolt
that we must depend upon forty
eight little armies of State militi;
under state control.
Thinks 1t Poor Material
Three quarters of a million OF Mr.
Hays army is made up of Stat
militiamen and former schoolboy
who have had little militia drill
whether the Hay bill passes. o.
whether II does not. these same mel
| would he just as available in on
case as lin the other: but | don't be
lieve that Won Hindenburg woult
think them much more available thar
raw recruits"
Representative Meyer London. thu
only socialist in Congress, declared
that Congress has surrendered Il
the clamor of the press and limited a.
huge interests behind the press Of
I the country.
/ you can't add 10000 men to ths
army" he cried. You can't even ge'
| enough men to fight Villa because
/ men won't become butchers for sl5 6
| month
Would Work Through High Schools
| Representative Anderson, of Mime
| sofa. advocated building mp the re-
! serve 4ghting strength of the nation
| through the training of all high
school boys in the military art. Repre-.
sentative Quinn. of Mississippi. form
erly one OF the bitterest enemies OF
| preparedness who was converted by
F; the President support of his pro-
gram, declared that the President had
adopted the wisest course in ordering
| the determination of Villa.
Representative Shellenberger. OF
! Nebraska, declared to the House that
sh& Mexico situation should show