New-York tribune., 1916-07-24
? Editor OF The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Recent events have again demon
strated the weakness which is inherent in
our system of dual sovereignty. In the
vital matter of national defence Congress
has again proved unequal to the task Of rec
onciling the national fact Of military unpre-
paredness with the state rights theory Of a
militia subject to more than one authority.
Somewhere about the person of Uncle Sam
rabbits foot is concealed which has served
him in good stead on numerous occasions,
allowing him to muddle through difficulties
which would have destroyed or seriously in
jured less fortunate nation. Luckily, i'm
mediate war with ..exico seems improbable,
but the chance that it might occur, which has
led to the mobilization of the militia of the
several states, has been most fortunate
one, since it has served to give new point to
our erstwhile favorte motto, "In union there
is strength"
There may still be many persons who hold
that "a we'll regulated militia" subject TO
the orders of two commanders in chief, how
ever conflicting, is worth perpetuating. These
may still believe that the provision of Sec
tion of Article | of the Constitution. Civ
ing Congress power ITO provide for organz-
ing, arming and disciplning the militia,
and for governing such part of them as
may be employed in the service of the United
States, reserving to the states, respectively,
the appointment Of the officers and the au-
thority of training the militia according to
the discipline prescribed by Congress-" af-
fords the nation proper means of perform
ing the national duty of providing for the
common defence Of the United States A
decent respect for the opinions of others
prohibits inquiry into the reasons for their
belief
But there are signs that a far greater
number OF people has been convinced that
the system of dual sovereignty, so far as
national defence is concerned at least, is a
failure. These believe that the only effective
union of military strength is the complete
naturalization of the military forces and re-
sources of our country that the states must
surrender to the Union all control over mil
itary affairs = that each state may be per-
mitted TO organize constabulary for use in
the suppression Of riots and the mante-
nance Of law and order within its boundaries
but otherwise the militia must be abolished
and that there must no longer exist sys-
TEN whereunder the commander in chief of
the army of the United States may be sub
ject as TO part Of his army to conflicting or
ders of forty light local commanders in chief
The appointment Of officers and training Of
the entire army must be vested in one sole
authority, and not in one plus forty eight
forty -eighths.
Suppose that each state had a right to or
ganize a navy. Would the confusion, inefi-
cheney and absurdty Of such a system be
any worse or more pronounced than that
which exists in the present military system
of the United States? The question answers
itself
The convention which framed the national
Constitution recognized the weakness and
ineficiency Of dual sovereignty with respect
70 commerce by conferring on Congress
power to regulate commerce with foreign
nations. and among the several states. and
with the Indian tribes" IL recognized the
same weakness and ineficiency in several
other particulars, such as in relation 70
the coming o. money and regulating the
value thereof, the establishment Of postof-
fees and post roads. the issuance OF letters
patent and copyright, the declaration Of war.
and so on. But Notwithstanding its wisdom
IN these matters, IL left the matter Of ma
tonsl defence to luck. in the hope or ex-
pectatlon, perhaps. that local jealousies and
state pride would never interfere with ma
tonal needs and efficiency in time of stress
Now, after many experiments, there is a
growing II not already firmly established
conviction that this hope or expectation has
been disappointed. and that the uniiicaton Of
military power is quite as essential to the
common defence and welfare as the unifca-
tion of commerce, bankruptcy, coming Of
money and other commercial interests. The
nation as a whole is waking up to the idea