The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-14
SENATE, AROUSED, FEARS
BIG CONFLICT IN MEXICO
chamberlain and Borah Declare That the Country Faces
a Grave Situation and That 1t Is Unprepared e..
Action on Defence Bills Urged.
ties has 100000 soldiers in the regular

! States has 100. 900 soldiers In the regular
army.
II don't want the statement, TO 90 nv
contradic'cd.' said Senator Chamber
lain. "Nr have not enough soldiers IN
Tact to handle the Mexican situation.
We have only 10000 men In the CON
tinental United states. and only half
OF them are available for Mexican SER
vice.
! II venture TO say that IL We think We
, can 40 o IN Mexico and clean up the
situation In a few weeks this country
will br disappointed. They have "a we'll
trained soldiery there and can organize
an army Of from $4,000 to 10000 men
at any 'imc-mcn who havc been fight.
ing for Ave years. So far as am
concerned | would not he surprised to
SEE every The carranza forces
n the Villa fof>,es-rrtlly aroun one
standard for the purpose Of fighting the
United States"
Allow me to suggest Also" said Sem
ator Smoot OF Utah. that Mexico to-day
has more field guns than the United
states. | think Mexico is prepared bet
ter with ammunition than the United
States"
SENATOR'S are so careful about the in
formation sent TO the people Of the
United States" interrupted senator Reed
OF Missouri. that I think they ought TO
be equally careful about the kind Of In.
FORMATION they art sending to the re-
public of Mexico"
, Mexico on the Alert.
Mexico knows Il already replied Mr..
smoot. Mexican officials know. our
strength better thar many Of the Amcri-
can people know IT,"
Gould Ne not use the militia 80 asked
Il 81 nlen n, $1,000 Av-.sL
There are about $4,000 men In the
National Guard replied Mr.. Chamber
lain. Il am confident as to their fighting
ability. but there Is a difference among
army officers as to the number Of men
available for Mexican service. differ
with those who !. l!eve that we are chas-
Ing only bandits. The police OF New
York could do that. but We are going
! against an army OF trained lighting men
; who have been on the field Tor five
years
Nothing has been stated" said Mr..
Borah. "of the Importance OF the Presi-
dents statement on his Western trip
that he dbl not have means enough 10
protect American citisens on the border.
Is the situation better Of worse now
than then?
II have no purpose Of criticisinR any
body. hut II we are TO move in the future
. rs SLOWLY ar In the past three or four
| months. how long would It take us TO
get AN army
The senator from North Carolina
lSl,nmorsl says there was a slight dif.
ference between Mr.. Garrison when
Secretary Of War and Congress. To my
mind IL was The difference between
favoring preparedness and not favorins
preparedness. So Il was that ne re-,
signed.
II did an extraordinary thing. being
as big a man az he is-such "A thing ~
no nan would have lone who did not
feel that Il was fundamental. That II,
he quit his post At a most critical time in
the history Of this country"
After a colloquy over the status Of the
military bill and a further discussion OF
Mr.. Garrison's resignation. Mr.. Borah
added: This discussion all reveals this
state Of Affairs:
First that We W no programme a;
all on this subject: that II is all as We.
In a neb,ulous condition.: that there is not
agreement between two houser. II fur
Their appears that as vet the committees
have just begun to take up this matter
and that there il nothing ripened or COM
pleted In regard to IT.