The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-30


 Department: "An troops leaving mobilization camps in the Eastern Departments were furnished with ten days travel ratfons. Trains were pro- vided either with Q s;cook car or bag gage car, with. range set up in it. It Is not possible that troops which have been reported short of rations at Kansas City and Cincinnati could have been short, unless rations had been thrown away. s,as every precau- ton had been taken to see that they started with an adequate supply When available, tourist sleepers have | been provided, and when not avail able, day coaches, the railroads pro- viding one double seat to each man without extra charge. Troops have been transferred from day coaches to tourist sleepers when en route, when ever possible to do so. Cars without lights were not used to transport | troops. Troop trains were not side tracked or delayed to accommodate private business, but troop trains have been held on request Of com animals, and for bathing the men, Ample drinking water was provided" | Major General J. Franklin Bell, Commanding General of the/ Western Department: "Al troops were trans ported in cars with sufficient sleeping facilities, with excellent equipment and all Suitably lighted. Troops car ried ten days garrison rations and were not obliged to seek food from civilians. Some organizations were provided with two days additional rations, to provide. against delays en route: Not single complaint receiv- ed at department headquarters/ from any source. Consider mobilization and forwarding of troops to border most creditable to all concerned" Major General Thomas H. Barry | Commanding General of the Central Department, made a report identical with the others in point of fact. So much, then, for the lies about suffer ing en route.
 "As said," continued the War Secretary, "an average of 10000 Ma tional Guardsmen have been kept at the border. These men were as- sembled in the presence of a national | emergency and by authority of. the | Constitution of. the United States and the laws made pursuant thereto. It goes without question that there Is an interruption of business, professional and personal careers, working hard ship and loss, but is it>to be-accepted as a principle of conduct that the in- tcrests of the, United States and the Il lives of. citizens must wait upon the time when call to arms can be an- swered- without inconvenience to the individuaI? ' -
 1 "As far as possible, steps have been taken to mitigate and relieve the un- usual and exceptional i, hardships which have arisen in classes especial 1y subject to distress by reason of the service demanded Congress, as you may remember, appropriated ~s2 ,00o,- 900 for the care of such families as needed assistance, and this money Ehas been, used to meet every honest application, sf
 with all my heart T. hope for such restoration of order and security on the Mexican frontiery as will permit the speedy return of our citizen sol- diers, to civilian pursuits. but the fact stands clear that the safety of our border and the preservation and pro- l lection of American lives is the pri- mary. consideration.
 Even so, we have exercised the largest sympathy, for over 15,000 dis charges from the National Guard have been authorized to date. Over 5000 heads of families have been re- leased, and $500 were discharged up-s on showing of physical ... disabilities that were calculated to make con- Ftinued camp life dangerous to them. In addition. over 10000 men have been mustered out of the federal ser | vice and returned to their homes.
 There is this for the~ people of the United States to consider MT. Baker continued. '"The governments re- liance upon the organized militia of the various states is neither sudden nor is it unsolicited, In 1903, when the Republicans finally decided to at tack the deficiencies in our military system that the war with Spain had made evident in 1898, the National Guard made strenuous claim that its weakness was due to lack of money, rather than lack of patriotism. AS consequence, the Dick bill was pass ed.. under which law; the federal gov ernment spent over $66, ,00O, ,O00 upon the state troops in decade.
 Again, in 1916, when the question of home defense reorganization was before Congress- the National Guard demanded that it be continued as the secondary reliance of the govern ment I do not think there is any doubt that this demand was backed up by public sentiment. The people of the United States are unalterably l opposed to a large standing army and equally antagonistic to the idea of compulsory military, service after the German model. Aided by these 4deep-rooted prejudices, and also by the fact that our need was immediate, Congress passed the Hay bill, certain provisions of which gave National lGuardsmen pay for armory as well as field training.
 "rhe very people who are now most solicitous about the state troops, most agttated by their sad lot, were those most bitter in their denuncia- ton of the National Guard during the pendency of the Hay bill. [ The ad- ministration was attacked rsavagefy for daring to continue reliance upon a broken reed,' and critics filled the lpress with ?.?.? ss
 Whatever may be thought of the National Guard as base for the na- tional defense" he continued enl- phatically, "there should be nothing
 but admiration for the spirit with
 which it's members have met the call and with which they are performing an important and necessary service to their country at, this time."
 "It is charged that the state troops are being keut at the border for | mere nllrDoeas of drill and trafnipp 2,'