Grand Forks daily herald., 1916-02-11

The correspondence between Sec
retary Garrison and the president,
which began on January IL, follows:
my Dear Mr.. President:
I'm my judgment we are facing a
critical juncture with respect to the
military part Of the national defense
program.
:. Il am convinced that unless the
situation Is dealt with promptly and
enectively, we can indulge in no rea-
sonable expectation Of any acceptable
| result.
! SO far as the military part Of ma
tional defense is concerned, there can
be no honest or worthy solution which
! does not result in national forces un-
der the exclusive control and author
itX OF the national government. Any
real. ID apparent, and not substantial.
Legitimate Field.
There is perfectly legitimate
field of discussion and debate as to
the means. Of obtaining these national
forces The proportion thereof that
should be regular standing army, that
should be organized reserves of the
regular standing army. or should be
drawn from the body Of citizens for
than those in the regular standing
army, are all legitimate and proper
matters for consideration, analysis
and discussion.
But there is absolutely no dissent,
from the military standpoint, from
the conclusion that the only measure
Of national defense that possesses any
virtue Is one which produces national
| forces. From the beginning Of the
government to this time, excepting
during periods Of actual war, the ac-
knowledged weakness and defect of
a 50
any system producing these federal
forces. The situation was rendered
worse by the presence of state troops,
raised, off1cered, trained and governed
by the states that were assumed to
be military reliance for the nation,
when In fact they are not and can
never be made to be. Under the con-
stitution of the United States, these
state troops must always be governed,
differed and trained by the respective
states.
THE very first line Of cleaving,
therefore, which must be encountered
and dealt with by the student OF the
system Of state troops, forever sub
iect to constitutional limitations
which rendered them absolutely inse-
cure as reliance for the nation, or
reliance upon national forces raised,
ofhcered, trained ana controlled by
the national authorities. Upon this
subject there does not exist and there
cannot and that legitimate exist, any
difference Of opinion among those
who are unbiased and who believe in
real national security and defense.
Good Foundation.
The policy recommended to you
and adopted by you, squarely placed
the nation upon the sure foundation
of national forces. If that policy is
made effective by legislation there
will be secured to this country for the
first time a real, stable foundation for
the military part of its national de-
fense.
IF, however, instead thereof a
policy is adopted. based upon the
state troops as the main reliance of
this country for its military arm, not
only has no advance been made from
the deplOrable and inexcusable situa-
ton in which we have so long be +.
but an effective block has been placed
across the path toward a proper set
tlement. The adoption Of such a poll
icy would serve to delude the people
into believing that the subject had
been settled and therefore reopired
no further consideration upon their
part.$ 1t would. therefore, in my
judgment, be infinitely worse than an
entire failure of all legislative enact
ment upon the subject. The latter
would at least leave it open for fu-
ture settlement.
Il, of course, am not advised as to
the statements of intention made by
Mr.. Hay to you in the conversations
held with you prior to your message
to congress at the beginning of the
present session. have always felt
and have so expressed myself to you,
that the situation in the congress was
such that unless you personally exert
ed the power Of your leadership, you
would not obtain any worthy results
in this matter.
Mr. Hay has now made open dec
laratlon Of his intention.
He announces that he does not M
tend to press for the enactment of the
military policy advocated in your
message. With respect to the regular
army, ne does not purpose giving us
the organization asked for and imper-
atively necessary II the federal volun-
teers (so-called continental army) are
to be properly trained; he purposes
aoolng rev thousand men to the en-
listed strength of the army in it's pres
ent organization. the adding of a few
regiments Of field artillery to the ex-
listing organizations Of the regular ar
my. the entire abandonment Of the
idea of federal force of national VOL
unteers, and the passing Of a bill
granting direct federal pay to the en-
listed men and officers of the state
troops.
Would Be Setback.
TN my judgment the effect of the
enactment of Mr.. Hays program
would be to set back the whole cause
or legitimate honest national defense
in an entirely unjustifiable and inex-
cusable way. 1t would be, in my
Judgment. a betrayal of the trust OF
the people in this regard. It would
be tllusory and apparent without anv
reality or substance.
| There is, unfortunately, very little
knowledge and very little intense per-
sonal interest in any Of the members
OF the house concerning military af-
fairs. Apart from the power that all
ways resides in every chairman of
committee. Mr. Hay has the addition
al power Of dealing with a subject
concerning which the rest Of the
house has no knowledge and about
which 1t has never concerned itself.
In this particular instance. his pro
posal OF settling this matter by voting
money to the enlisted men and off,
GERS of the state troops appeals to the
direct personal political interests of
the members.
Result Will Be Bad.
In these circumstances, it seems
to me to be perfectly clear that unless
you interpose your position as leader
OF the country on this great subject
the result will be the lamentable one
which have just described"
1t seems to me equally imperative
tnat this interposition should be i'm
mediate. II this proposed program of
| r. n nv, tho