Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-07-06
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WANT
REGULAR ARMY INCREASED
TO DisPLAcE GUARDsMEN..
OPPOSITION TO SEND
ALL GUARDS TO BORDER
Contends That Duty Of Patroling
Border Is For Regular Army
President Intends to Keep State
Troops Near Mexico For Indefinite
Period.

Washington, July ga movement is
brewing in congress for the recall of
the national guardsmen to civil life as
result of the abatement Of the Mex
lean war scare and the disclosure that
President Wilson not only contemplates
, withdrawing the Pershing expedition,
but intends henceforth merely to guard
the border against bandit raids.
the president has not abandoned his
| intention to send to the border all the
national guard troops called out. War
department officials expressed the
opinion that, if no further trouble with
Carranza develops, the national guard
probably would be Kept on the border
, four months.
The authors 6f the movement to
withdraw the militia contend that the
job of patrolling the border is one for
the regular army. The regular army,
they assert, should be increased and
detailed to take the place of the ma
tional guard regiments on the border.
Will Keep Them indefinitely.
President Wilson has the power to
organize a regular army of sufficient
proportions to meet this duty. Inquiry
at the White House and of administra-
ton officials today. however disclosed
that the president intends TO keep the
duty indefinitely.
II never have thought war with
Mexico likely" one cabinet officer said.
but l regarded the calling out of the
national guard an excellent measure
for two reasons. First, the mobiliza-
ton of these troops on the border
tends to deter Carranza from further
defying the United States. Secondly.
the national guardsmen are getting an
invaluable training, such as no summer
training camp could give them
Not word of complaint concerning
the call of the national quad to the
colors was heard so long as war ap-
peared to be a probability or so long
as it appeared that the administra-
ton might decide to intervene in
Mexico.
Why Question Was, Raised.
1t was not until after the call was
issued and the militia were on their
way to the border that the president
disclosed that he is opposed to inter
rertion, and interested solely IN guard
ing the border from such raids as
caused him to send the punitive" ex-
petition into Mexico. With that dis
closure and the lessening of the danger
of war. this question has come to the
fore at the capitol:
Why should civilian soldiers. at great
personal sacrifice and at a cost which
bears heavily upon the nation, be COM
PEELED to perform the duties of pro-
fessional army that will be required
for many months. if not years?
1t is believed Gthat the national
friends. if no others, will not take kind
ly to the proposition of indefinite Dor
der patrol duty on so unfair a basis,
and that the situation will react unfa-
vorably upon the administration unless
the president speedily acts along the
line suggested.
Can Raise Large Force.
If the new army reorganization law.
which went into effect on July /, is all
that it was represented to be by the
administration democrats in congress,
there should be no difficulty in raising
the regular army to size sufficient to
permit an early replacement of the
national guard units
There are now about 10000 regulars
on, the border and in Mexico, and ap-
proximately $4,000 national guardsmen
have responded to the call. The new
army law provides for a force OF 2GS,-
1913 men on peace and 2S7,S46 on a
war footing. Before the law went into
effect the president had been author
lied to recruit $4,000 additional regu-
lars. Under the new law approximate
ly $4,000 enlisted men are to be added
to the army each year for five years.
The president, however, is empow-
ered "in- the event Of actual or threat
ened war or similar emergency in
which the public safety demands it," to
organize, the entire increase in the
army authorized by the new law. Mr..
Wilson, therefore, has the authority to
meet the present emergency by re-
cruiting $4,000 regulars to replace the
81, 900 national guardsmen.
Hard to Recruit Regulars.
Army officers say that the national
guard undoubtedly should be replaced
by regulars, but that it would take a
year or more 10 recruit $4,000 men.
They point out that it has required
about four months to obtain approxi-
mately 10000 Of the $4,000 recruits au-
thorized by congress shortly after the
Columbus raid.
The small pay Of regulars is the
chief reason assigned for the difficulty
in obtaining recruits. Under the new
law the pay of enlisted men is SIS
"a month. It has been suggested in
congress that if the pay were increased
to $25 a month there would be no diff
ficulty in recruiting enough new resu-
lars to replace the national guardsmen
in comparatively brief period. This
proposition of increasing the pay is
likely to receive serious consideration
in congress by the time the necessity
of substituting regulas for civilian SOL
diers becomes a pressing matter.