The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1916-02-24
GAVE GARRISON
THE DOUBLE CROSS


The genesis of Secretary Garrison :
resignation is readily traeeable. i
had its roots in the intellectual honest!
and candor of Mr.. Garrison's nature
which first found itself at variance
with his chief in relation to the Mexi
can policy, where the puerile and pif
fling Bryan methods were permitted t.
rule a situation which Mr.. Garrison
felt should be dealt with firmly and il
man fashion. But the real point of ger
mination rested in the President I
message to Congress a year ago, when
he lauded "a e%itizenry trained In
arms as the best means of defense
for America.
Mr.. Garrison never embraced this
doctrine fundamentally; and he was
much gratifed last spring when the
War Department was instructed to
draw a program for increasing the n a
tional defense along lines which mill
tary experts could approve. This pro-
gram was produced, but it never re-
ceived executive ~approval-and later
the War Department was ordered to
draft a policy which should be based
upon the Wilsonian dictum of an arm
ed citizenry. The Continental Army
scheme was the result. There is moth
ing to indicate that Mr.. Garrison was
enamored of the plan, but he was given
to understand that the President ia
vored it and that the endorsement and
support of the White House would fol
low. Accordingly he lent the full force
of his active and vigorous mind to the
development and advocacy of the Cou-
t%inental Army, thinking it to be just
what Wilson wanted and deeming 1t
the part of loyalty to his superior to
throw the entire weight of his infu-
ence in its behalf, even if he had un
dertaken the task with some misgiv-
ings.
This plan received Mr.. Wilson'S full
oPRAON0l III bh0 AdNC hCCoaSC
which he delivered to Congress this
year-and Mr.. Garrison went boldly
before the committees of Congress to
advocate the scheme which he believed
to be dear to the Presidents heart.
He Loyalty took responsibility for the
plan upon himself and he made an ex-
eeedingly forceful presentation of a
case which he had been led to think
was the President s own.
1t soon became apparent that the
Continental Army had few friends in
Congress and the Presidents candida
cy for a second term brought about a
remarkable change of front at the
White House. The Presidents famous
"open mind" began to manifest itself,
and Mr.. Garrison Immediately noticed
an ominous slackening of enthusiasm
for the Continental Army on the part
of its own father. The Secretary, how
ever, remained true. He continued to
advocate the measure which Wilson
had thrust upon him-and he eontin-
ued his advocacy of it to the point
where it became necessary to know
whether he was soon to find himself
entirely bereft of the Presidents con
fdence and support and to confront,
instead, a President who was openly
dealing with the opponents of the plan.
An exchange of opinions developed
what Mr.. Garrison has described as
"hopeless differences" and, like an
honorable man, Mr.. Garrison withdrew
from the Cabinet.
His action has brought CONSERVATION
not alone in the ranks of the Democ-
racy but in the ranks of those who
honestly wan an effective policy of
national defense. This does not mean
that the Continental Army is a neces-
sary part of such a policy-but it does
mean that such a policy can be devel-
oped only by men of honest and patri-
otic motives. Garrison is such a man.
Wilson is not. Two such men cannot
long remain in close association. Gar
rison's withdrawal was inevitable,
sooner or later. The only question was
as to the point on which he should part
company with the President.
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