New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-16
Preparedness Advocates
Declare Force Provided
Entirely Too Small.
MEANS ONLY 100000
MEN FOR FIGHTING
Measure Really a Militia Pork
Barrel" Is Charge-Campaign
of Protest Begun.
fr-on u. Trihnne Rurosu J

Washington. Nay ia more com
,,..e understanding to-day of the com
.-or,ise army bill. which leaves the
rr,,sd States Army from $4,000 to
n 400 men short Of the minimum which
,hs General staff and every important
.A.s- who has testified have declared
absolutely necessary, has been toi-
800 nv a storm Of Indignation among
,,s advocates Of real preparedness.
The announced figure Of 100000, while
short Of what is known 70 be needed,
cave some comfort until it was dis
covered that this really meant 100000
lighting men, with possible maximum
Of $4,000. Then the disappointment
became intense.
There is little chance that the Senate
will reject the conference report, and
~. preparedness people are hoping
that the President will stand by his
statements on his Western tour and
send the bill back 10 be made over
Every effort will be made to show him
that the country demands far more
than the compromise gives. A cam
n.irn 70 this end and 20 bring fresh
PRESSURE on Congress already has been
started.
az the President signs that bill he
will convict himself Of insincerity and
an attempt TO hoodwink the American
people.o declared a preparedness SEN
stor to-day.
Militia Pork Barrel
@He has advocated an adequate army;
he approved Secretary Garrison's pian'
which would have provided real re-
serve and he has supported the volun-
teer army plan. He has also declared
most emphatically that a real defence
,oyld not be made up out Of forty
,;cbt different little armies This bill
does not contain the things he has APP
,roved. but contains instead thing he
could not possibly approve-the great
militia pork barrel.
"Details Of what is necessary for SO
complicated a thing as an army are
hard for the people to understand, and
thew have 10 depend largely on the
statements Of men they trust-the ma
roral leaders and their expert advisers.
IN this case the people are not yet sufh-
GENTLY educated to know that the com
promise bill is a sham. But the facts
have been made perfectly clear to Con
eress by the generals VINO have testi'
fed $50.
"It is plain that the Hay bill, as II
now stands. is intended chiefly 10 pro
vide a defence against political, not
military. attack. and at the same time
10 feed hungry politicians. These facts
will be understood by the people lone
before November. II the President
fails 20 veto this bill ne will become
involved in the conspiracy 20 defend
America with pork instead Of steel
The complete success Of the militia
lobby is one Of the outstanding feat
ures Of the compromise. That lobby
ranted two things-pork for the MI
ltia and the killing of any other plan
which might provide soldiers not uncer
the influence Of the lobbyists.
Won All They Wanted.
They won both things. The bill
makes no effort TO try any volunteer
system except the militia, and 1t Will
provide sn indefinitely large number
Of millions for the militia officers.
The militia lobby was one OF the
most insolent that has ever worked
around here" said a leading Senator
to-day. Il do not think much OF the
volunteer plan; my preference was TO
put every cent we could afford into the
regulars But since the militia was so
afraid OF the volunteers | have become
convinced that there must be some
thing in u.
Under the bill we now have we are
going 20 create a force Of 100000 men,
with their hands in the treasury, VINO
will stand between this country and
any real preparedness. ! am not critl-
eisng the militia as lacking bravery,
you understand. They will do the best
they can. But every expert knows that
best will not be enough. What | critl-
eize them for is for standing between
the country and something that VIII be
enough