New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-09
MILITIA BUREAU
BACKS UP SCOTT
Report Says Guard Failure
Is Attributable Only to
Defect in System
CITES CASE OF TWO
AERO COMPANIES
Generals Appleton and
Over in Favor of Com
pulsory Service


Washington. Dee. s--The Militia Blu
resu Of the War Department. in re-
mort made public to-day. backs up IN
It's principal finding the opinion OF Ma
ior General Hugh L. Scott. Cher o.
staff. that the federslized militia un-
der the Hay National Guard system IS
a failure.
The report made public to-day
points out that the Federal govern
ment has done everything possible Tor
the National Guard. and that II II
fails now in its efficiency It is due
- defects inherent in the system II
self The report. prepared by Colonel
G. ". McIver. acting chief Of the ou-
rcau. records the complete failure oil
two efforts 10 organize the National
Guard aero companies because OF the
difficulty Of getting skilled mechanics
but reserves FOR a later report any
General discussion OF last summers
mobilization.
Failure Due 10 system
After citing the measures taken st
Tho Separtmcnt's recommendation 70
Mace the National Guard on stable
Federal basis, Colonel Mclver de-
clares:
"A failure 10 attain p reasonable
degree of efficiency with the iaclllues
provided will be attributable only 10
defects too inherent in the militia sys-
tenn 10 be subject to CORRECTION Z!
legislative action
Geoeral Scott in his report let IT be
understood that the fault OF the tal-
ure of the militia TO come up 10 Vle
expected degree OF ehclency was ~
due 70 the Guardsmen themselves, pue
90 tbo svstom under which they become
mart Of the Federal service, and urged
compulsory military service as the
strongest alternative, if not the only
alternative.
$4,000 Below Strength
II is now seen that the NstlonaI
Guard will fall from 10000 TO oo,VOU
short Of the 100000 which. accordlnS
10 the Hay schedule, should be the ,r gu
listed strength by June 50 neN.. nv
Usv act contemplated the augmenta-
t;o1 ~ the Guard by five annual units
of 10000 each until the loVai sH0u'N
reach 100000 men. A..
Fully 90 per cent Of the army oncers
here believe with General Scott that
comnulsory service is the only and pest
solution 10 the whole problem.
Officers prominent in the National
cnsrd Of New York State are IN ac-
cord with Major General Hugh H.
SCOT, chief Of staff Of the regular
army. in his declaration for universal
military training in his annual rePVIP
but they refuse to accept ms statel1eihi'
that the militia system j. nst 81
uro. The same faults which Gehersi
Scott finds in the militia exist III INC
regular army, they say.
General Appleton Approves
Major General Daniel Appleton. re
tired from active service, but stu IN
close touch with guard affairs, yes
terdav characterized General Scout
renort As a good, straightforward,
soidierly report, in which politics ola
not figure. 49,. ,,a,d
General Appleton said. "lf the militia
system is wrong, we have Geneisi
SCOTS report on which to start us re-
construction. Both the regular army
and the militia should now De ap!e 70
work together. The famous mlhus
regiments. which have given splendio
service in the past, Will continue 70
Give snlendid service. Our men have
made great personal sacrifices, and u
things have not been just as they
should be. the fault must lie with the
II am i'm favor Of universal military
,rai,inc for the burden of arms should
not be borne by the few. Every man
Of military age should be prepared TO
defend his country. ~.
Brigadier General George z. Dyer
DECLARED he was strongly in favor OF
COMPULSORY military service. III the
militia has done nothing else, II mas
awakened the public to the realization
that the militia alone should not bear
the onus Of this country's defence ne
said. "The young fellows between
eighteen and twenty-one who loaf on
the street corners should be given mil
itary training as we'll as the young men
Who must give up time from their busi-
ness 10 drill
Same Faults in Army. Says Dyer
General DYER was Of the opinion that
the faults found IN the National Guard
l by General Scott were paralleled in the
regular army. The regular force was
y below war strength, and the same dihi--
culties in recruiting which the Guard
had experienced were found there. he
also said he believed that the proper
ton Of green men in the regular ser
vice was as large as that IN the militia.
Another mil tia officer. in close
touch with conditions on the border.
also in favor Of universal military
training, called the present militia
system unwleldy.
composed of organizations from
forty-eight states. II is bound 10 be
so" he said. I'VE probably see the
militia in its best light in New York
state. but the divisions from other
parts Of the country are not so well
equipped and, In many cases, not so
well trained Still. the regular army
should not turn on Us now. They do
not seem TO realize the sacrifices we
have made. They forget that the Hay
bill was signed June 3 and the mobl-
hzation order was issued the 18th
Without the equipment which II was
impossible TO deliver in time, our
regiments were rushed 10 the border
They did the best they could. The
report Of the chief OF staff bases its
figures on m organization so perfect
ii could never exist The states have
always given the army support and
the support has often been Of great
Il