Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-11

The circumstances which led up to
the resignation are detailed in the Sec
retary's correspondence with the Pres-
dent. which was made public last night
by the White House. The President.
the letters disclose. believed that the
training, organization and control of a
military reserve should be under i'm
mediate federal direction. but is not
'irrevocably or dogmatically; commit
ted to any one plan" He wrote Mr..
Garrison that he could not force any
specific plan on Congress, and added:
IT must welcome a frank interchange
Of views and patient and thorough
comparison of all the methods pro-
posed for obtaining the object we all
have in view"
Contention wholly Unjustifable."
Mr. Garrison's contention that only
the plans of the War Department could
be considered seemed to the -Presi-
dent wholly: unjustiiable." Mr.. Gar
rison considered reliance upon the
militia for national defense as unjusti-
fable and imperiling of the nations
safety" In resisning he wrote the
President:
1T is evident that we hopeiessly dis
agree upon what L conceive to De fun-
damental principles"
Mr. Garrison characterized the Clarke
amendment to the Philippine bill pro-
viding conditionally for the independ-
ence of the islands within four years
IAN abandonment of the duty of this
nation and a breach of trust for the
Filipinos" The President replied it
was his Judgment that the Clarke
but added: TT would clearly be most
inadvisable for me to take the posi-
ton that l must dissent from that
action should both houses of Congress
amendment" He said he must with
hold judgment until the final action
was before him in definite form.
Facing Critical Juncture.
January IL Secretary Garrison wrote
the President: I'VE are facing a crit
ical juncture with respect to the mill
tary part of the national defense pro-
gram" and declared he felt that 'un
less the situation is dealt with
dulee in no reasonable expectation of
any acceptable result" He insisted
that there could be no substantial So
forces under the exclusive control and
authority of the national government"
Admitting that there could be le-
Ultimate discussion over the means
OF THESE IldtlOHdl lOfCcS, tuc
Secretary asserted that from the be-
ginning of the government the ac-
knovledged weakness of the situation
arose, out of the lack of any system
producing federal forces.
The situation was rendered worse.
he added, by the presence of state
troops, raised, officered, trained and
governed by the states"
There Is a distinct line of cleavage.
Mr.. Garrison held. between reliance
upon a system of state troops and reli-
ance upon national forces. Upon this
subject he said in his letter to the
President. there does not exist. and
there cannot legitimately exist. any
difference of opinion among those who
are unbiased and who believe in real
national security and defense" He
declared that If policy based upon
the reliance on state troops was adopt
ed mot only had no advance been made
from the .deplorable and inexcusa BILE
situation in which we have SO long
been, but an effective block had been
placed across the pathway toward
proper settlement"
The Secretary severely criticised the
National Guard plans Of Chairman Hay
Of the House military committee.
TN my judgment, the effect of the