The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1916-01-23
MAKES ADDRESS
ON The MATTER
CONTINENTAL ARMY PLAN is
GIVEN ENDORSEMENT BY
FORMER SECRETARY.
OTHERS ALSO FAVOR IT
Mr.. Stimson Believes That Com
pulsory Service Is the Only
Real Solution of the Defense
Problem.

| WASHINGTON, Jan. 22.--unqual-
flied endorsement of the administra-
TONS continental army plan was
given today by Henry L. Stimson
secretary of war in the Taft admin
isuation, in an address before the
National Security league.
Declaring himself in favor of com
pulsOry universal military service, as
the true solution of the defense prob
| lem, Mr.. StimsOn said he regarded
the program now advanced by Secre-
| tary Garrison as the sound initial
rStep- -~"-~- -~''~-'-
IF congress is not ready yet to
sanction universal training" he said
| the measures which are enacted
should be those which so far a. they
go, are in accord with this great fun
damental duty and which, as time
passes and experience ripehs viii
lead most naturally to the establish
ment of such "A system
Under the federal constitution the
national guard is primarily "A state
force instead of national reserve
and | do not believe that any effective
national citizens army can he created
out of a force dominated by as sepa-
rate sOvereignties. For nearly fifteen
years strenuous efforts have been
made to increase the number of the
guard, yet it has remained nearly
stationary. II seems to be that these
defects can be traced directly to the
fact that the national guard is in fact
a state military force which we are
also requiring to do duty for the
national guard SO long as such
forces exist the states are tempted TO
slur their police duties and TO rely
wholly upon citizen soldiery for that
purpose.
What is even worse there has
gradually grown up among our labor
ing classes the feeling that the only
soldiers with whom they are prac-
tica!ly acquainted represent differ
ent class OF the community and are
maintained for the purpose of being
used against them. Instead of re.
garding the mitiaman as citizen
training to perform his duty of de-
Tending the country in case of real
war, the labor man has come to re.
gard him as a representative of cap
tai, being trained as policeman
against labor.
"The national guard is, other than
the regular army, our only present
force of even partially trained sol
diery. Nothing should be done to
discourage its work but on the con
courage it. But such encouragement
should be in the direction Of trans
fering ii wholly into the service Of the
federal government and not Of per
petuating 1t in its present status.
Particularly, to grant federal pay TO
the individual miitiaman for his
weekly service rendered to the state
seems to blur the great lesson which
is emerging from the European war.
II is to yield again to the theory that
we can induce men to serve their
country as duty of patriotism, but
for pay"
Mr.. Stmson endorsed as "sound
anu lllelIlBeHt SeCTeLdfy GafflBOU 3
plan % bring the regular army up 10
It's proper basis, but added that per
sOnally he thought the regular army
now should be made larger still.
What is proper in congress and
what is likely to happen" he con
tinued, lis that Mr. Garrison will be
refused even the regiments for which
he has asked and that instead a stop
viii be tnrown to the sentiment of
the country by merely authorizing
the department to enlist enough more
men to bring our existing regiments
up 10 full strength.
Referring to the recent Mexican
border troubles and the demands ot
many for punitive expedition, Mr..
S;imsor said "it is conceivable that 1t
almost any time the hands Of our
goycrnment may be forced By sotpe
such emergency, yet at the present
day, with the great bulg OF our army