New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-16

,Ioc. before the country" might be an
swered. If reply were permitted res 'ne
plan Of experts, which, despite every request
YOU pcrsistently refuse TO make pubic dnu
which By official order Of February 49, 1870
no officer Of either service is permitted 10
discuss"
In a crisis such as that now confronting
the nation, the people should know the op'n-
ion of their military and naval experts upon
matters which lie in the field Of their tech
meal training, and through their defence 80
cieties they have made repeated demands
upon the administration for such informo-
ton. "Tho Army and Navy journal always
conservative and in sense the mouthpiece
Of both services, has expressed itselt ed'-
torially to tho effect that no professional ON
Ger OF either service can support the admin
istra.ion plan, since IL calls for 4 paper
army Of the most amateur sort. No GIT OF
prophecy f. required to predics mat this
army, without permanent organization ara
with, at most, three summer camps OF tram
ing amounting in the aggregate TO six inonths
Of preparation, II sent against di'cplinea
European army OF invasion, would be need
lessly slaughtered without accomplishing any
useful result
To secure publication Of the recommenda'
lions Of our experts tho various defence so
cieties have appealed to Mr.. Wilson IN vain.
All requests having been denied, n conyen-
ton was called In Chicago, which met on
November q, 1918, and 70 which, at then
own expense, no less than 200 delegates, req
resenting branches Of the National Security
League, travelled from points as remote a.
Maine and California, Minnesota and Florida
Among these delegates were mon OF distlnc-
ton in all walks Of life, and no less than
three former Secretaries OF War re50lu
ton was unanimously adopted ealing upon
the President Immediately to make public the
recommendations for national defence o. the
General Staff Of the army and the General
Board Of the navy. This resolution, Tor
warded 10 the President. was formally ac'
knowledged by Secretary Tumulty but other
wise ignored.
II was only after the opening OF rongrcss
and when all responsible committees on MIL
tary affairs in both houses had been
committed 20 special brand OF defence meas
ure. that the President at last permitted inc
recommendations Of experts 70 be made pub
lie. and even then it was later TO be discoY-
cred that the report put forward By the See
rotary OF fnt navy a. Nlc u 'N'tN~
mendations OF the General Board was IN real
ity a sham-not the report originally pre-
pared by the board at the request o. inc
President. but a modified one, furnished
under express stipulation that the eXrend'-
ture should not exceed SlOO,OOO0OO year
The very evident desire Of the administra'
ton, and the Navy Department particularly
TO persstently magnify in the press ne imam
cial burdens Of the pretended great enlarge
ments proposed for the military establish
ment has left in the minds OF many loyal ci,t-
zens r suspicion that the attitude OF the al
ministration in reference 70 national defence
has not materially changed since the address
Of December {, 1914, above quoted, or TIE
"too proud 10 fight" speech OF May 1913
or his plans the President with Character
istic egotism says in his last message; the
seem 70 me the essential first steps, INA they
seem 20 me for the present sufficient Inns
personal judgment is, Of course. supreme y
important. for the reason that 1t is Expressed
bv a Chief Magistrate whose real power trah
sends that OF many European rulers, but
being contrary 10 the recommendations or eA-
merits u is in other respects merely amateur
ish. Whereas tho General Board OF the navy
has called for the laying down OF four battle
cruisers during the first year. the President
has reduced this number TO two, apparently
ohliyious of the fact that the ships thus
called for could not be used effectively ID
battle. for the simple reason that al Euro