Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-02-12
PRESIDENT MAY
PICK WAR CHIEF
[Continued From First Pagc.l


serve and for compulsory military SER
vice, and his withdrawal from the
Cabinet because OF ''irreconcilable diff
ferences" of opinion with the Presi-
dent has served to raise the question
whether Mr.. Wilson sincerely and un-
alterably is committed to a genuine
and adequate development of national
defense.
The President says he intends to
use all his influence to procure an ade-
quate army and a volunteer force COM
posed of the National Guard organi-
zations under Federal control and SUI
pervision. Democratic leaders in the
House. however. are confident that the
President will not insist upon COM
plete liberalization of the National
Guard.
The resignation of Mr.. Garrison.
recognized as one of the ablest mem
bers of the Cabinet, following the re-
signation of Mr.. Bryan. who repre-
sents a powerful body of Democratic
opinion, is widely regarded as accen-
tuating the lack of unity and definite
purpose in the administration of pub
lie affairs by the Democratic party
made conspicuous by the Presidents
changes of fronts on important ques-
tions.
Republicans Take Heart
These developments following close
ly upon the revelations of Democratic
disorganization in Congress have
caused the Republicans to take heart.
On the eve of the presidential cam
paign, in which further dissension
Mr.. Wilson will endeavor to repair
the breaches and restore unity.
The antipreparedness contingent
does not attempt to conceal it's dissat-
isfaction with a situation which
forced Garrison from the Cabinet.
Those Senator's and Representatives
who favor little or no increase in the
strength of the land forces believe
the incident sufficient evidence that the
President is not really committed to
the creation of adequate defense.
Whatever the 'delusion of Secretary
Garrison concerning the continental
army scheme, he was a consistent ad
vocate of measure of preparedness
scarcely transcended by the extremists
in the national defense movement
The other extreme is represented by
such leaders as Chairman Hay, of the
House Military Affairs committee.
When the President decided to
stand with Hay instead. of with Garri-
son he furnished ground for the asser-
tion that he had surrendered to the
advocates of inadequate preparedness.
over the downfall of Garrison that
there is danger of a reaction in their
favor in the consideration of the army
and navy bills by Congress. Hay is
opposed to either an adequate army
or completely Federalized National
Guard, and he is so encouraged by
the attitude of the President that he
believes he will succeed in writing his
ideas into legislation.
GfpOnoay. RiII
The indications are that the influ-
ence of Senator Chamberlain, chair
man of the Senate Military Affairs
committee will produce a stronger
army bill in the upper chamber than
is passed by the House. In that pros
pect the national defense leaders
repose the most hope.
There are two divergent views held
here of the correspondence between
the Resident and Secretary Garrison
lading up to the resignation of the
Secretary of War. Some students of
the letters contend that Mr.. Garrison
shows himself therein concerned not
so much for the adoption of the con-
tinental army plan as for the crea-
ton of a citizen soldiery. under imme-
diate national control and that the
President is disclosed as having no
definite ideas on the subject.
These commentators observe that
Mr.. Wilson's frequent changes of front
on national defense and his contradic-
tory and vague statements fin his re-
cent stump speeches in the West are
only what might be expected of a
Pres. lent, innately n pacificist, nat
urally a nonresistant and too proud
to fight" who launches his campaign
for reelection with an effort to con-
vince the public that he is an entire
ly different sort of person.
The other view is that Mr.. Garrison
gave no Just ground for his resignation
and left only the impression that he
ought to have gone on fighting for his
to obtain the utmost from Congress in
the line of adequate national de-
fense.
1t is contended that the President
was right in refusing to commit him.
self to the continental or any other
precise army plan, or to force his ideas
upon Congress, as urged by Mr.. Gar
rison.
Couldn't Endure Humiliation
The truth seems to be that Mr., Gar
rison could not endure the humiliation
of defeat at the hands of Chairman
Hay, and the ignominy of being left
to hold the bag by the President in
the case of the continental army.
Mr.. Garrison was at war with poll
ticians through his service. He stood
like a stonewall against the efforts of
Hay and his associates to get rid of
General Wood. He opposed the army
pork grabbers" at every turn. He
was cordially hated by the army poll
ticians. But when the President de-
serted him and went over to Hay, bag
and baggage, he threw up the
sponge.
AS a result of his first two years ex-
perience Mr.. Garrison became COM
mitted to q much larger standing
army and an army reserve. He was
working out plan for creating a re-
serve of 100000 men or more by pass
ing recruits through the regular army
with six months training.
President Wilson specifically reject
ed this suggestion in his message to
Congress in December, 1914. in which
he announced his opposition to a regu-
lar army reserve, and said the nation
must rely upon "a citiZenry trained
and accustomed to arms"
Then Secretary Garrison advised
the President that the militia never
would produce a citizenry sufficiently
trained in the handling of arms and
proposed the continental plan. The
President embraced the idea enthusi-
astically, and Mr.. Garrison devoted
himself assiduously to supporting the
not because he preferred it to
q regular army reserve, but because
he believed it would carry out the
Presidents idea most effectively. The
President presented the plan to Con-
gress and Mr.. Garrison proceeded to
m a n out camOaiRD to mt IL tbrotI0,