The Washington herald., 1916-10-26
HUGHES SCORES
PAREDNESS
Military Safeguards Declared
Shockingly Inadequate"
By the International New. Service,

CBy the International News Serviee-D
New York. Oct 2.-In special appeal
to the young voters Of America for sup
port, Charles Evans Hughes, at the
Brooklyn Academy Of Music tonight,
struck with full force at the admins
tration's preparedness program. declar-
ing the lack Of military preparation Is
beyond debate"
Requesting the elders 10 stand at this
viewpoint and catch the vision OF Amer
ica's need and opportunity" the Repub-
ncan nominee proclaimed himself al
ways a Republican and always a pro-
grcssive," and asked what sort Of A
! country does young America. vibrant
with patriotism. desire?''
Then he let 90 his bolts at President
4 Wilson's national defense policy.
Young America must desire a coun-
try that is prepared Ior any energen "
he declared. We have been shockin-1y
lacking in adequate military prepa red
ness. Great appropriations are now
, made, but these themselves direct the
most serious attention TO defect in
method and organization. and raise the
| question Of necessity OF the most eff
cient supervision OF these vast expendf-
lures by competent administrative heads
Business Ability Needed.
1t is idle 70 appropriate money for mill
tary and naval preparations II we have
not first class business ability in the
manaGement OF these departments.
The lack Of military preparation IS
beyond debate. It was revealed at the
Mexican border when. 10 avoid bandit in
curslons, our entire National Guard was
summoned. The eIigency was not OF the
most serious character and we were In
peace with abundant opportunities for
effective mobilization. Yet we had grave
delays, a revelation Of a weak and in
adequate system, Of an army il-equlpped.
deficient in rifles, shoes, uniforms and
horses. In addition a large number OF
men were physically unfit for duty.
In the Eastern department. where over
( 70 per cent OF the militia Is located. en-
bracinE many OF the best orEanizs tons.
am informed that now. after a lapse Of
nearly four months, the quota is 5000
men short OF the 1S5.OJ0 men called for
There were raw recruits wholly untrain-
I'd. and the estimate is that less than
p per cent OF the number involved had
received one years training in the Guard.
which means from fifty to 100 hours Of
military drill a year"
Warning Not Needed.
/ Mr.. Hughes charged the sdrr1fufstrstt0n
/ with having failed 70 wake up in time -
/ the imperative need Of Increased pre-
| paredness. with a world IN arms and
Z a Mexican policy provocative OF trouble.
with the very ne-il that we finally
( coUntered sta US in the face. a0proN-
4 rate measures wcrt delayed he said.
The President informed Congress 90
December, 1914 that the administration
would not change its attitude beCa us-
some among us are nervous and excited.
. II was said that the country had been
misInforned, that the administration had
4 been negligent OF the national defense.
This was four months after the out
break Of the European war and nearly
eight months after Vera Cruz. Secretary
Z Garrison had recommended IN his reno Il
for the fiscal year ending June 81. 1914
the existing organization hich com
/ posed the aECregate mobile forces OF the
regular army should be filled up TO their
/ full strength This. he said would re-
Quire 2-oo0 men. He also recommended
( that with This increase there should %.
authority to obtain I.oD1 more offc,r rs {
understand that this recommendation was
ignored. I am also informed u.mu .nra-
Iot"uJ authority that had tho-r h",0 ...n
addition to the regular army then r,>.-.a
/ 10y Secretary Garrison /, W",rlt NOT ray-
/ been necessary to send orr rational
guard to the border.
Praise for Guardsmen.
I I speak in terms of the highest 0raiss
! OF the patriotism Of the guard. but I
think it a serious criticism Of our milf
| tary organization that We should be COM
PEELED to send men from their peaceful
pursuits to the Mexican border for peace
duty because We had not regular army
large enough for the purpose. What was
needed on the part Of tn, administra-
ton was no rNhorJaJons not wholly dc
void OF nervousness but the business
like action demanded by the condition Of
the times One uf the very strong mon
the President gathered about him LEFT
the Cabinet rather than be responsible
! for seriously mistaken policy.
7 cannot now review the army re0r-
ganizatiOn bill and Its manifest defects.
I must content myself with saying that
/ believe that We should have A regular
army large enough for the ordinary mil
itarv demands in the absence OF grave
ma tionaI CNiEenCics and that our first Citi-
zen reserve should be trained and con-
troIled by Federal authority. In the
administration Of the Navy Department
We have had incapable leadership. The
young men Of the country cannot fail to
/ take a special interest in these matters.
! We propose 10 have adequate prepared
} ness and the efficiency Of administration
which is it's Indispensable condition