New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-09
Secretary, on Stand, De
cIines to Mix Politics
with Defence.
CALLS VOLUNTEER
SYSTEM FAILURE
Large Officer Corps Main United
States Need, He Tells House
Committee.
rr,, r,s T~N>une Bureau ]

Washington. Jan. s. Secretary Gar
rison advocated universal military ser
Wee. not as present policy, but as q
theory. before the House Military Al
fairs Committee to-day. lie combatcd
re fear that the continental army he
locates could ever be used by the
dent for offensive purposes
.unst the wishes Of the people. and
re expressed his willingness 70 80 to
any possible lengths 20 prevent the
continental army plan from injuring
the national guard. lie was on the
stand for over two hours. and ct the
close OF the hearing members Of the
committee seemed far more hopeful
than few days ago that definite in
crease In the army would be approved.
The declaration in favor Of the uni
versal military service came after Rep
resentative Gordon. Of Cleveland, had
attempted 20 induce Mr.. Garrison 20
admit that there would be danger Of
militarism IN increasing the army. The
Representative tackled first the line
that a great increase IN power would
follow concentration OF the control OF
the citizen army. illustrating with the
fact that at present militiamen need
not respond 20 national calls.
Certainly they need not" said the
Secretary. "Often they don't. They
have right 70 balk. That's just the
matter with them"
Declines 20 Mix Politics
Mr.. Gordon then tried another tack,
and asked whether the Secretary be-
lieved the President would not be like
" 20 use the army against the wishes
Of the people The Secretary thought
not. hrst, because Of common sense and
then because the power to declare war
rests with Congress.
isn't that what was done last year ~
asked Representative Anthony. Repuo-
Hesn, Of Kansas, referring 20 the Vera
Cruz expedition. and & laugh stopped
that line.
Mr.. Gordon then came back with the
suggestion thst the Invasion" Of CO.
lombia 81 the time o. the Panama re-
bellion had been such 81 abuse Of
power by the President, then Mr.. Roose-
Welt. He asked several questions, and
finally Mr. Garrison stopped him.
81 can shed 40 light on that subject
as know nothing about IT," he said.
"a hope We can keep politics out Of
THE and discuss the question on its
merits"
Il quite agree with YOU" said Mr..
Gordon, and abandoned his attack
Representative ShaIlenberger took
Up the same line, asking the Secretary
whether his plan did not tend toward
universal service and whether that was
desirable.
an democracy the more universal
We can make the military service the
better" declared the Secretary. Every
citizen should absolutely be under
identical obligation with every other
citizen. But do not think the Aneri-
can people at present want universal
People Wanted Present War.
Then in response to another ques-
ton:
"a certainly DO not believe universal
service had any influence In bringing
about the present war. History shows
us that qusrrels OF nations rise out OF
passions, iealOusles and subtle Causes
dating FAR back think We make
great mistake In ettributing wars TO
immediate causes.
1--WE know that the blowing up Of
the Maine was not the cause OF the
Spanish War. nor the hrIng on Sumter
the cause of the Civil War. do not
believe any great nation has made
war, whatever its form Of government
unless the majority Of ITS people
wanted n. DO not believe the people
in Europe TO day are really opposed, as
majority. to this war.
The condition of the regular army
was scercely gone into. The Secre-
tary o. War declared that the increases
asked giving a mobile army Of 10000
in the United StateJ we're the mini
mum that would be safe II there
were 70 be no continentals 10 fall back
on, he intimated. the regular army
should be much greater
The Increases he hes asked In the
coast artillery. he admitted. would DO
at leas: 1900 short o. enough 20 man
all the guns now ID the fortiiicatlons,
and he had no idea how many would