Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-12
|SAYS 1HE..MNtT|A.. !.
|S.PE0P[E:'S:.PR|DE
Representative Dyer Of Mis-
souri, Discusses Presidents
. "Change Of Front"

| The popularity of the National Guard
was the theme of a five-minute speech
Iby Representative Dyer of Missouri IN
the House yesterday. At the same 'i''e
Mr.. Dyer took occasion to express MS own
views on the resignation of Secretary Gar
rison., ard the Presidents attitude in re-
gard to the so-cafled continental army.
"A minute ago." said Mr.. Dyer. when
THE gentleman from Indiana Mr. Barn
hart) was addressing the House upon
peace, I asked him if it was not ract
that the President of the United states
approved of the position of the Secretary
of War upon the question of continental
army He stated that it was his judgment
that the President had not done so.
want to read, to you from the message
of the President delivered at. the joint
session of the two Houses December
last: when he said this:
ct is with these ideals in mind thai
the plans of the Department Of War Tor
more adequate national defense were con,
'ceived which will be laid before you, ana
which I urge you to sanction and put
into effect as soon as they can be properly
scrutinized and discussed They seem to
me the essential first step, and they seem
to me for the present SUFFICIENT
%. X. for Continental Army.
Going on, M Chairman, he discusses
the recommendation and the plans OF the
Secretary with reference to Il continental
army as follows:
:. By way Of making tie country read;
to assert some part OF its real po"e:
tIx- lar
occasion arise the plan also contemplate
supplementing the army by so"2e 9! '."''-
900 disciplined citizens. raised in ir'cTe-
ments of 1873, 900 year throughout period
of three wears This if is proposed 10 do by
a process of enlistment under which the
serviceable men OF the country would be
asked to bind themselves TO serve WIN
the colorS for purposes of training Tor
short periods Throughout three years. and
to come TO the colors at call at any
period throughout an additional furlough
period of three years. This force OF
400, 900 men would be provided with per-
sonal accouterments as fast as enlisted.
and their equipment for the held made
ready to be supplied at any time. They
would be assembled for training at stated
intervals at convenient places in aSsoc1-
alton with suitable units Of the regular
army Their period Of annual training
would not necessarily exceed two months
"He goes on and says:
".At least SO much by way of prepara-
ton for defense seems to me to be alb
solutely imperative now. We cannot do
less.
National Guards Popularity.
Those, Mr.. Chairman. are the words
of the President. in which he. in my
Judgment. approved of the plan and
scheme and recommendations of the
Secretary of War with reference to
the continental army. The President
has recently made tour of the great
central west. He has been to some OF
the places where the. people think and
act and know what they want. He made
speeches in these various places. He
has heard from the people upon the
question of continental army. He
has heard from the people. through
their representatives in Congress, from
the committee on military affairs, and
all. and he knows today that the con-
tinental armytis a most unpopular pro-
vision of the recommendations of the
partment with reference TO increasing
the army He knows that: and he
knows that the National Guard. the
militia of the. states. is popular. He
knows that their plans and schemes
have the approval apparently of
great majority of the representatives
of the people of this country, and now
we find that the President differs with
the Secretary of War upon the con-