Evening star., 1916-01-06

The
sists Of approximately 10000 men and
officers. and 1t therefore would be nec-
essary. II it Is to be expanded to 4oo.-
/ 600. to add 271.000 men and officers.
IF this policy should be attempted
to be adopted Congress would first have
to require the states to raise and main
tain all of these troops, and the states
would have to practically treble their
existing equipment. I DO not know
power to impose this burden upon the
states. 1t seems to me that a mere
statement of this situation lnoicstes
how utterly futile it is to attempt this
solution
Mr.. Garrison pointed out that the Ma
tional Guard could be called in federal
service only for three purposes-to
suppress domestic insurrection, to en-
force the law and to repel INVASION
and added: There is no one thlng SO
free from dispute as that the basis of
any proper military system must oe
unity of responsibility. authority ana
control. 1t is absolutely Impossible TO
have this essential unity under the con
stitutional provisions with respect 10
the organized militia, or National
Guard.
Would Enlarge Federal Aid.
THE suggestion that the situation
properly can be met by some sort OIL
provision making these troops subject
to call of the nation for all purposes, In
case of war, instead of only tor the
three purposes specified in the Consti-
tuition, overlooks and disregards the
fundamental basic trouble which TINS
| remedy does not even touch, much less
cure. The National Guard, however, as
| IL OF Fnln
circuinstanced that 1t can volunteer for
service in time of war and be taken IN
as it exists. I therefore propose
large addition to the federal aid ex-
tended to the National Guard' SO tnat
the system may be operated to Its max
! imum capacity and be availaole 1or the
/ federal purposes specified, in its most
effective condition.
with respect to the so-called militia
pay bill, 1 only desire say this: I
have always felt that any pay for home
training should proceed from the state
and not from the nation. If the Con-
gress prefers the method of direct fed
eral pay. it is not matter in which
have any individual judgment upon
which care to insist"
Other Military Systems.
Mr. Garrison took up suggestions that
the Swiss or Australian military sys-
TENS be adapted to American needs OF
the former he said. universal military
service and the beginning of the train
ing work in the public schools formed
its most prominent elements. while the
Australian system likewise required
military service from all male citizens.
"In this country" he continued, ut is
not believed practicable at this time
of the two essential bases of the sys-
TENS just described. The national gov
ernment has no jurisdiction over the
public school systems of the various
states. A constitutional amendment
would be required to give it any such
jurisdiction. Furthermore, it is not be-
lieved that the people of this country
have reached the conclusion that COM
pulsory military service Is a necessity.
However rational such conclusion may
be, and however inevitable it may be
thought that the people will eventually
reach such a conclusion, it Is futile to
found policy upon any such requisite
at this time, If there Is not reasonable
hope to expect that 1t will receive the
approval of the people at this time. II
you found your system upon any such
essential basis, and there is no good
ground to expect that you can secure
such a basis by legislative enactment,
the result would be that no step what
ever would be taken, and that would be
a lamentable result. If. on the other
hand, you adopt practical system,
based upon the voluntary action of the
people, and that fails. then policies
based upon universal service or some
form Of compulsory service will be
enacted as the only remaining remedy"
Proposed Continental Plan.
The Secretary then outlined the con-
tinental army plan. which proposes to
raise 100000 men in annual increments
Of 1913, 900 each from districts approx
mating the 400 congressional districts,
each to supply '333 men annually. The
men would enlist for three years with
the colors and three years on fur
Tough. and would be armed. equipped
and officered. Their training would be
done by the officers and men of the
regular army organizations and they
would be paid during the time of their
service on the same basis as the regu-
lar army.
For convenience Of designation" he
continued, this force has been called
the continental army, but. in fact, it is
a system of federal volunteers. raised.
organized. equipped and trained in
time OF peace. There Is absolutely
has been a result reached and ex-
pressed by the very best military au-
thorities this country has produced. 1t
will not have escaped your notice that
tnlS pTopopco Sys 10 ~ dStlSdAS ehc
same thing as the Swiss and Austria
liam systems, leaving out the supervi-
sion Of the public schools and work
therein Of a military character, and
compulsory military service. If COM
pulsory military service is now desired
for the country. and legislation con-
cerning 1t can be expected by the Con-
gress then a short provision in the act
will accomplish it. Such clause would
provide that wherever the quota re-
quired of any district by a certain date
is short of the proper number a selec-
, tive process to obtain that number
shall be put into effect"
Increases Recommended.
Turning to the question of the size
rP ttA prpv ueceeaarv 70 in