Arizona republican., 1916-02-05
OHIO GOVERNOR CONDEMNS PLAN .F0R C0N T|NENTAL ARMY SAYS
 NATIONAL GUARD MORE EFFICIENT
By Gov. Frank p. Willis

President Wilson has submitted to congress the most far-reaching pro-
 gram for national preparedness in the
 history of the United States. Recog-
 rizing the lessons taught all too viv-
 idly by the past few months, he has
 reversed the views of a liftime and has come to realize that a great people like
 ours. with such great resources and
 such great coast line must be pre- pared against war if permanent peace
 IS to be it's fortune.
 A very large part of the people of the
 United States will agree with the pres
 ident that it is foolish to continue as
 though We are favored peoples and not give attention to adequate naval and
 military resources for our ~own pro-
 lection.
 As a part of the policy for adequate
 land defense. the secretary of war,
 with the presidents approval, has sub
 nitted to congress the plan of a so-
 called Continental Army" As a sec
 ond line of defense. back of the regular
 army, increased to 150,000 or 200, ,000
 men. he would have a civilian army
 (consisting on paper) of some 400, 900
 men whose military training would be
 limited to six weeks or two months in the Wear with little. if any system
 attic training between for a period of three years. Approximately two hun- dred men of this army are assigned to each congressional district. Officers and general plan are to be worked out on paper-the men to be called out ir time of war. The National Guard is to be relegated to the third line of defense but it's members may individ
 ually become part of the so-calleo "Continental Army and they are in- Vited to do so.
 Calls Second Army Costly, Impractical To this policy of creating a new so- called second army and relegating the National Guard to an obscure place. believe every man who has given care full study to military affairs will be
 steadfastly and vigorously opposed. It , Gisregarcs the best judgment of almost every man competent to judge of mili- tary affairs as they relate to a civilian army in the United States, entail vastly increased expenditures and give no actual, practical and efficient re-
 suits. In place of a careful. definite policy, it would substitute an involved indefinite experiment. In all proba bility, it would mean that the country
 is again, Tt the beginning of another war, to depend largely upon raw. un- drilled recruits for it's soldiers and sac
 rifice them by the thousands until the opportunity, if any such is granted, is | presented for adequate training. More | than this, 1t means the destruction Of
 the National Guard The Continental | Army would be more favored, and the ! young mon of our nation. who volun- l tarly enter military service, would en- | ter the more favored division.
 Taking the country over. our Ma 1 tiona Guard is now more effective | than ever in it's history. Careful at | tenton to the recommendations of its skilled officers would. in my belief 1 shortly make it a far more effective 1 force for the national defense thar any Continental Army that can be de- vised The objection of Secretary 1 Garrison that it involves forty eight