New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-02-02
Calls System a National
Menace. Which the
People Distrust.
GERMANY USED IT.
O'RfAN ANSWERS
Only Way for u. S. to Support
100000 Trained Soldiers
Without Vast Expense.

From ~. -riNune rure,u
Washington, Feb. l.. Development Of
the National Guard by means of more
liberia. appropriations, and particularly
through some form Of p militia pay
bill. was urged before the House and
Senate committees to-day by n delcGa
tion Of militia officers. headed by Major
General John +. Organ. OF the New
York National Guard: AdJutant Cen
cral Thomas J. Stewart. of the Penn
sylvania National Guard and president
of the Guard Association; AdJutant
General A. Il. Critchheld. Of the Ohio
National Guard. and Adiutant General
". +. Sadler, j.. Of the New Jersey
National Guard.
4 letter from Secretary Garrison 70
Chairman Chamberlain % the Senate
committee was also made public dur
ing the day a. the War Department
disapprovirg the Senator's militia pay
bll After declaring that the guard
mon have always stood In tho way ~
organizing q purely Federal volunteer
force ON sound lines, Mr.. Garrison
wrote:
Guard Lacks Nations Confidence.
Ilaving arrived at the consideration
% measure involving pay of the Ma
t.oual Guard. We have come 20 the final
parting of the ways. the passage OF
such measure would fully and ire
tricyably commit US 70 a system that
has utterly failed in the past. which
menaccs our safety now system IN
which the people justly have no CON
fdcncc.
IF We put the organized militia firm
ly IN the saddle, as It contemplated IN
this bin. the opportunity for adopting
sound military policy FOR the nation
VIII have passed beyond recall.
General Organ. on the other hand,
told the committees that Germany had
virtually used system Of state troops.
since tho sovcreigns Of the German
states appointed all officers up TO com
manders Of forts and other officers Of
very high rank.
Chairman Chambcrlai Of tho com
mittee seemed 10 favor the Cummins
plan. pointing out that i would add
a large number Of partially trained
men 20 the reserve each year. Senator
du Point. on the other hand, asked each
officer who testified if a necessary
amount Of training would not be i'm
possible without experienced petty Of
;.cers and if a sufficient number Of re
cluits could be obtained each time tn
cnlistments cXpired General Organ
spent most &C his time urging the
necessity for some form Of compensa-
tion to the national guardsmen, VINO
give so much time 20 military training
Guard Needs College Men.
There are a large number Of col
lego men," the general said. who are
especially available for officers Of the
national guard, because as a rule they
have the time. education and physical
requirements. and IN most cases pos
seas he martial spirit But VIC cannot
get them The reason for this is that
the average man just ont Of college
cannot afford 10 spend $500 10 S400 for
his equipment The militia pay bill IL
the solution for that problem.
at is generally believed that 100000
or 100000 men are necessary for our
first line defence. And II this number
cannot be attained by tho expansion o.
the regular army because Of the OK
Dcnse. some other method must be de
vised.
"The day Of the small professional
army is past II has been aban
doncd by all big nations except Eng
land and the United States. When the
European wer broke out England had
10000 highly trained soldiers, which
she moved in excellent shape TO the
Continent. where they met the trained
citizen soldiery OF Germany. They
charged ike d hand grenade and went
up in smoke. What is needed is num-
hers. Now England is sorely handi-
capped because she has not the pro
fessonal officers TO train the great ma
tona. army which she Is raising.
Business Handicaps Guard.
General O'Ryan made the eyes o.
Senator Wadsworth. who was present
al the Senate committee hearing, glow
with pleasure By a high compliment 10
the cavalry troops Of New York and
Staten Island. which drilled one night
a week. he said, whether the Their
mometer was around 100 or there was
blizzard Senator WadsWOrth is cap
tain OF one Of these troops.
General Stewart said he did not think
militamen could obtain permission
from Their employers 10 spend two
months q year at an instruction camp.
General Sadler, OF the New Jersey
guard, told the committee that at the
present strength of the national guard
the militia pay bill. including both en-
listed mon and officers, would carry
only S91-c23 which would be i'm
creased pioportionately as the number
Of milt'dmen was increased. On the
scheme Of 500 mlitiamen to each mem
be- oI Congress being the allotmen;
of .re states he said. the guard would
c3a list o. about 2G5,000 men, which
could be quickly expanded in the event
Of war TO % 600 men.