The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1916-02-18
GARRISON BREAKS
WITH PRESIDENT; !
LEAVES CABINET
SECRETARY OF WAR RESIGNS BE,
CAUSE WILSON WILL NOT ar
REvOCABLY" SUPPORT cONTl-
MENTAL ARMY PLAN.
HHOPELESSLY DISAGREE ON
IMPORTANT FUNDAMENTALS


..s... ,1s..,i. l...n. A.i .,." az
Opposition to Administrators Pro
gram of Setting Definite Time for
Philippine independence Another
Reason for Action-Breckin-
ridge Also Gives Up Post.
- Washington, Feb. 12.-The Presi
dent has issued formal order desg
mating Maj. Gen. Hugh L. Scott, CHIEF
of staff, to act as secretary of wal
"for a period not to exceed 80 days OF
until a successor shall have been ap
pointed or qualified" A new secretary
of war will be named at once.
Washington, Feb. 12-Secretary OF
War Lindley M. Garrison has resigned
because President Wilson will not <'ir-
revocably" support the continental
army plan, and because he opposes
the administrations program of set
ting definite time for Philippine indie
bendence. e-" 49,. '.,.,,' j. ip.-. ..s
-,t.f Resignation is Accepted. T..
President Wilson accepted the res
tgnation and has not yet selected a
successor. The President himself will
probably take personal charge of the
administrations national defense
plans in congress.
Breckenridge Also Resigns.
. Assistant Secretary Breckenridge
his chief, whose views he shared The
President accepted his resignation.
Both take effect Immediately.
Major. General. Hugh/L. Scott, chief
of staff of the army, automatically be-
comes secretary of war ad interim.
49,, For Federal Continental Army.
It is known that one of Secretary
Garrison's principal reasons for his
conviction that only federal con-
tinental army instead of recognized
national guard could be the main mill
tary dependence of the nation was his
belief that some day the United States
may be called upon to defend the Mon
roe doctrine, and>ein, that event he
foresaw that the national guard might
not be available for use outside of the
United States before a declaration of
war, 80 i.,lt- -, ,+.., J,t...s.., .st
IL. . Surprise to Officials.
Upon the contention on the one
hand that the Continental army, or
ultimately universal service was the
nations only reliance and the posi-
-tion on the other that no, one plan
could be. enforced upon Congress,
President Wilson and his secretary of
war parted official company.
Mr.. Garrison's resignation was |
complete surprise to official Washing |
ton generally. He made no personal
explanation. Several hours before. the |
official announcement he had boarded |
a train with his wife for New York 1
and word had been passed at the de- |
partment that he had gone for an in
definite stay. '-',s' - '''e'
Differences Leading to Break. e.. !
The acute differences which led to
the break, began early in the year |
when opposition to the Continental /
army plan began developing in Con-
gress.
There had been indefinite rimors of /
the possibility of the secretary of war
leaving the cabinet but they never
we're countenanced in official quar-
tiers.
The secretary everywhere was re-
garded as one of the strong men of
the administration, upon whom the
President1eaned in the difficult situa-f
tons, both domestic and international
which have marked his administration.
Letters Are Made Public.
The circumstances (which led up. toJ
the resignation, are detailed in the
secretary's correspondence. with. the
President, which was made public by
the White House The President, the !.
Letters disclose, believes the training,
organization and control of a military
reserve should be under Immediately
federal direction, but is not "irrevoc-
ably or dogmatically committed to any
one plan"
Mr.. Wilson wrote Mr. Garrison that
he could not force any specific plan on
Congress and added: II must well
come frank interchange of views and
= patient and thorough comparison of
all the methods proposed for obtain
ing the objects we all have in view"
Mr.. Garrison's contentious that only I
the plans of the war department could ]
be considered seemed to the President
wholly unjustifable."
Believes LusItanIa Case Ended.
Berlin, Feb 12.-4The Bourse, the
press and the public were in hope
ful mood under the influence OF con-
Mutation OF favorable press dispatches 4
which described the controversy be-