The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-03-31
Greene and Preparedness

| The Herald need offer no excuse for
a somewhat lengthy comment on Con.
| gresham Frank l.. Greene's speech
on THE Military establishment" de-
livered on Friday, March II, and pub
lished in the Record March %. II
might rather congratulate its readers
on being able to present at least one
phase Of the problem of preparedness,
directly affecting every citizen, viz,
the federalizing of the National Guard
as against the Garrison plan of con.
tinental army.
Mr.. Greene frankly comedies that
this plan of federalizing the National
Guard is merely step toward COM
plete control of the citizen soldiery
by the national government. He
says
This idea that the organized mill
tia of the country should be, as con-
templated in this continental army
plan, an out-and-out federal force, that
it should be under the pay and control
and maintenance of the national gov.
eminent and serve the purpOes of the
national government under the author
ity and direction of Congress and the
President. =. is the only safe and
sound one upon which our citizen vol
unteer army can be properly organ
lied or successfully maintained"
His objections to the continental
standing the assurances of the CARR.
sonians, Congressman Greene believes
1T was simply an attempt to make
two similar bodies Occupy the same
srace at the same time and that in
| time it must mean either the elimina.
ton of one organization, proba bly, the
National Guard. or the creating of ian
aristocratic corps of the leisure class
and celebrating setting it in opposi-
ton to the National Guard
This positively undemocratic situa-
ton has other disadvantages. 1t
would mean, in his opinion, "a need
less expense and mischievous dis
sipation Of military energies and mill
tary resources and frivolous compli-
cation of military organization" This
view has been already set forth in The
Herald in other language.
The expedient plan, therefore, was
to take advantage Of existing organi-
cations and establishments. rather
than risk the plans for preparedness
with new and untried organization
The committee of which Mr.. Greene
is member became unanimous fol-
taking the existent National Guard
and invoking all the powers of the
federal constitution to make an active
federal force out of it.
They based their action not only ON
eXpediency but on the patriotic atti-
tude of members of the National
Guard, who are not only willing but
anxious that their organizations should
become recognized and efficient par.
of the forces of the United States.
Among these, by the way may proper
ly be included Acknowledgement Lee
S. Tillotson and other officers and
members OF the Vermont National
Guard
The reasons for this conclusion are
sta cd thus:
"The National Guard is already in
existence with over n hundred years of
history and traditions. 1t is armed,
equipped housed, organized in part
disciplined and trained, musters al
with degrees OF military training and
effectiveness running from poor to SUI
perb, but with the major part certainly
in the scale of good TO excellent
beyond all has an imperishable and al
together glorious state pride behind it
that quickens the sense of responsible
ity of men that serve and deters the
possible coward from deserving"
The speech delves into the consti-
tutional right of Congress to fedora
lie the Guard, right which has never
been exercised to its full power and
which is treated fully and conclusive
ly in the Hay committees report, yet
Congressman Greene believes that
There will still be necessary some
reconstruction of the militia clauses
in the constitution of the United
States before the liberalization of the
National Guard will be found wholly
satisfactory or beyond dispute in EN-
Urgency
This is only one phase of rather
notable effort. one of our senior con-
CHEESEMAN'S few public speeches.
which, indeed covers a very wide field
of citizenship, national defense, men,
ace of Europe, worlds trade, balance
of power, etc, and which could only
be very briefly summarized in any
newspaper article.
In reference to the National Guard
problem, however, the views quoted
herewith are largely those Of an ez-
IntIa,,1 IIorn III