The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-11

It would not be proper for him to say | to committee of Congress that it | would have to take his plan or none. 1 He declared he did not believe members
 Of the House dealing with military ar- 1alrs were ignorant of the military ne- 1 cesslt1es of the nation, but had found them well informed.
 He said he would welcome a frank interchange of views, but added mo | one will expect me to acquiesce in any proposal that I regard as inadequate or
 illusory." Should a bill be presented 1 to him which he could not accept as l accomplishing the essential thing sought. he said, it would be his duty to l veto it and go to the country on the merits.
 1 The views of the President and MT. 1 Garrison were reviewed in other let ! ters, which eliminated in the offer i ing and acceptance of the secretary S l signation.
 l Although MT. Garrison first suggested
 that he leave the cabinet last month, Mir. Wilson did not formally accept his 1 resignation until late this afternoon, | when informed that Mir. Garrison had left for New York and that rumors of his resignation were current The Pres l ident then dictated the letter of ac- 1 ceptance and dispatched it immediately. It was mot until o'clock tonight
 that formal announcement of the Gar l rison and Breckenridge resigna tions l was made at the White House. EXPRESSIONS OF REGRET | Expressions of regret over the turn of affairs were general in administra- l tion circles. The President thinks l highly of MT. Garrisons abilities and l MT. Garrison has been the firm friend | of most of the other cabinet r,.rs, . although he and former Secretary l Bryan differed radically on many sub | jects
 | When the President went into the
 middle west recently to speak on na- l tional defense, it was understood that
 he undertook the trip partially at the l suggestion of MT. Garrison. During the tour the President spoke at every meet 1 ing in favor of the Garrison army plan, 1 but said that he was not particular l about details as long as a reserve of l approximately 5000 trained men was secured. It was said tonight that MT. Wilson's failure to refuse any compro- . mise on the subject in his speeches was
 the direct cause of MT. Garrisons res- 1 ignation
 MT. Garrison's last day as a member of the cabinet almost passed without any outward evidence of the step he was contemplating. He was through
 out the morning busily occupied with
 ordinary routine affairs. Later he dic-
  l to deliver in the afternoon before tho
 annual meeting of the Chamber of l Commerce of the United States in de- 1 fense of his continental army plan. It was not until he announced sud- 1 denly late in the afternoon that he l was leaving the city and would not deliver the address that there was the l slightest suspicion that anything un- | usual had happened.
 The secretary left the state, war and navy building with Assistant Secretary Breckinridge. Inquiry as to where he was going and how long he would re- main brought only the reply that he would be "out of town for an indefinite stay"
 DEVELOPMENT A SURPRISE The resignation came as a distinct surprise not only to Washington gen. orally but to members of the cabinet. One cabinet officer said tonight that while he knew there was a difference of opinion between the President and MT. Garrison over handling the army plans, he had not the slightest sus- picion that an actual break was inn pending.
 Secretary Garrison has been a lead- ing figure in President Wilson's off, cial family ever since the administra- tion began He began a close study of | the military situation nearly two years ago. He has devoted days and nights to the subject. Surrounded by his bu- reau chiefs and officers on staff duty, the secretary went into every aspect of the case with all the concentration he developed as a lawyer and a member of the New Jersey judiciary.
 Out of that study came the plan for the continental army and the CO., related increases in the regular army and proposals for coast defenses and huge reserve of war material which constitutes the administration prepar- edness plans so far as the army is con- cerned.
 The only organized opposition to MT Garrson's proposals for the army out side of Congress has come from mem- bers of the National Guard.
 STOOD FOR RIGHTS
 Mr. Garrison is understood to have been one of those cabinet members who have stood most firmly for declara- tion of the nations rights in the de- Alterations that have resulted from the Lusitania incident and the interruption of American commerce with neutral