The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-01-22
WILSON WILL FIGHT
PORK BARREL" GRAB
ON SPEAKING TOUR

! mend applicants to Annapolis and
| West Point.
If the wishes of the Congressman
prevail. the organization of STATE
units will be turned over to them
| pretty much as the post offices are at
present, and consequently taken out
| of the hands of the state governments.
In the view Of the friends of this
philanthropic undertaking-and q
vast majority of sCongressme favor
| tit possesses political advantages to
themselves eclipsing In magnitude and
| influence any patronage prerogatfves
hitherto granted them by the gov
eminent.
with the, power to name officers
and men in the various state units,
and presumably to designate locations
| of companies; the benefits to be de-
rived are of the sort that appeal to
the mind of every member of Con-
gress.
It is therefore natural that they
predict that every hamlet would ex-
perience a thrill of patriotism that
would lead to the organization Of an
army adequate for all purposes-as
long the pay checks come from
Accelerate Paid Patriotism.
National Guard influences are also
beginning to accelerate the scheme.
This is made clear by the recent ac-
tivities of the National Guard AS
ISOLATION Of the United States,'' whose
headquarters is at st. Augustine, Fla
The President of this. Organization is
Gen. Thomas s. Stewart of Harris
burg.
The chairman of the executive com
nnittee is Clifford r. Foster of ST.
Augustine. Mr.. Foster recently issued
circular letters addressed to the adj
.jutant generals of the several states
urging them to get behind the scheme
of expanding the National Guard. r
In a circular of January 10 Mr..
Foster says:
s1By this time it viii have been
| made clear to you from the report of
the General Staff and other informa-
ton now obtainabIe that the attitude
of the army toward the National
Guard is hardly more favorable than
that of the Secretary, of War him
self although the latter sought to take
full responsibility for the Continental
Army plan.
ct viii be well to accept the, fact
att the outset that we will have
strong opposition to the National
Guard program from both quarters
and shape our course accordingly. It
is gratifying to find, however, that
the sentiment in Congress is very ia
vorables to US. Numbers Of letters
have been received from mem bers of
| Congress expressing disapprovaI of
the Continental Army scheme and in
tention to support legislation favor
able to the militia
This is very encouraging, but we
must exert ourselves to create sentf-
ment at home which will back up our
| friends in Congress, and this senti-
| n1eHt must be based upon an intel1i-
gent understanding Of what we pro-
pose and fI1er easons for it,
Influence Boards of Trade.
He urges that all members Of the
fQational Guard individually identity
themselves with organizations created
to influence legislation favorable to
their interests. In another circular
he says:
Your committee believes it to be
desirable that efforts be made to Sc
cure the adoption by boards OF trade
ana other commercial organizatio ns
Throughout the country of resolutions
indorsing the National Guard pro-
kgram for Federal military legislation
This action can be initiated by officers
in every city and town where there
are organizations of the National
IGuard and perhaps in other cities,
The same circular declares the Con
tinental army plan advocated by Sec
rotary Garrison to be Impractical and
foredoomed to fai1ure.' Drafts of
resolutions to be passed by the Ma
ltional Guard organizations and other
bodies accelerated by tn en- have been
sent throughout thee ountry with the
recommendation that these resolutions
be sent to members of Congress
Some of the features of these reso-
lutions favor universal military train
ing under the Swiss system and the
expansion of the land forces of the
country with National Guard 1rganiza-
| tions as the basis.
National Guard officers are also
urged to wire and write their, Con
gressnaeH to favor the expansion of the
militia