Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-01-23
FAVORS UNIVERSAL
MILITARY SERVICE
National Security League Thinks
Adequate Defense Ultimately
Depends on This Step.
URGES BIGGER ARMY AND NAVY
Steps Seeking to Coordinate
Work of Different Preparedness
Organizations Indorsed.

| WASHINGTON. January c2-An In
dorsement OF Secretary C;arrison's er-
! ton's military forces was. voted to y
By the National Security League. with
/ the reservations that the regular mo-
| bilo army should be even greater than
/ that contemplated in the War Depart
mcnt plan. and that adequate national
defense would depend ultimately upon
universal obligatory military training
and service" n greater building p-o-
gram for the navy than has been out
lined by the Navy Department was
urged essential in another rcso'u-
tion adopted.
! steps to coordinate the work OF tho
various organizations seeking greater
armament were indorsed II was un-
derstood Tonight that definite plans
had been made for general consolda-
/ tion Of such organizations in def Sc
league. with Robert Bacon. former Sec
rotary of state, as its president Pc
sides the National Security League. So
cities expected TO enter the new oryan-
4 ization include the Navy League. The
Army League. the American Defense
Society. the Aero Club Of America and
many others which have Joined in .hc
movement for preparedness.
Adoption of the resolutions follow cd
I Endorsement of Secretary Garrison's
| program as a first sound step toward
adequate preparedness by Elihu Root
| and henry l.. Stimsor. both former Sec
retaries of War in Republican admlnis-
tra,ions. At a banquet tonight con-
| cluding the three-day meeting OF the
league. George w. Wickersham, Attor-
neyGencral in President Taft's Cabinet
advocated universal military scrv.ce
/ and Immediate repeal of the law under
/ which the National Guard would ne
4 called into service in advance y. vol
/ unteers.
\ LODGE MAKES SPEECH
on "AMERICA'S DANGER"
! Other speakers mt the banquet were
| Senator Lodge. of Massachusetts. RANK :
ing Republican member of the For
eign Relations Committee. who dis
cussed Americas Danger" and George
| Haven Putnam. of New York
The set or resolutions. drafted BY a
committee of which Luke r. Wright,
F.! former Secretary of War. was chair
man, were adopted almost unanimously.
! They follow:
! THAT the National Security League
recommends the authorization by Cen
I Ercss of council of national defense
I as set forth in House bill No. 1893 of
the SiNty-third Congress. commonly
known as the Hobson bill, for tho pur-
I nose Of securing more harmonious CO.
/ operation between the executive and
Legislative branches OF the govern
ment with respect to the national de-
lenses
! That tho National Security League
recommends the establishment OF a
navy adequate to conserve the national
interest in conformity with the fol-
/ lowing recommendations: that the por-
sonnel of the navy be Increased in con-
formity with the requirements OF the
| fleet as interpreted by the general
board of the navy; that there be cstab-
lishcd for the navy n general staff, SINH :
lar 10 the general staff of the army, as
| is customary in all other navics of the
world. and that the National Security
League indorscs the program of July
30 1915, of the general board OF tho
navy and urges Its immediate adoption
by Congress.
THAT n fundamental factor in the
problems of preparedness should be
such intensive mobilization of the pro-
ductive. Industrial and commercial
forces OF the United States as would
insure in time of war the contribution
OF their fullest resources at n restricted
profit to be regula ted by the govern
ment.
THAT in view OF the fact that the
great interest In national defense
throughout the country has created 4
| number of local and national organza-
/ . II
OF our military and naval service. the
National Security League Immediately
cndeavor TO avoid the overlapping of
, the effort and energy OF these organiza-
tions by seeking effective means Of uni
flying and co-ordinating their activi-
ties"
| ONLY ON; VOTE rs CAST
AGAINST RESOLIlTIDN
The only vote against the resolution
! advocating universal military service
was cast by William y. kctcham. Of
| indianapolis. who said he represented
the Governor of Indiana
Mr.. Wickcrsham. In his address to-
night. emphasized the necessity OF wide
publicity, saying he SOW no hope OF a
change in tho policy of the nation
until the weakness and unfairncss OF
our traditional system is more sharply
brought home To our people"
AT the threshold OF consideration OF
| national defense" he said. must be
an inquiry into tho duty of citizens
to render military service to the coun-
try I'm times OF peace as we'll as war
In no clear way could we more cfrcc-
lively rid the nation OF the incubus of
our accursed system OF bountics and
pensions than by the establishment and
maintenance OF a system OF universal
military service.
rhe practical question now pre-
scnted to the American people IS not
the Immediate adoption OF such sys-
tern. Our military and naval authorl-
ties. both civil and military. with the
Continued on Eleventh Page.)
REDUCED MARDI GRAS FAKES
Via sou UlntR RN RAILWAY from Feb rs to
=