New-York tribune., 1916-01-19
Militia and Continentals.


tinental army scheme The Tribune has
never challenged the estimate which ne
ruts on the state militia as means OF
national defence. We agree entirely with
him in his indictment Of the present militia
system in so far as any Of its supporters
arc rash enough to maintain that it Is
capable Of furnishing US with an adequate
army of the first line.
Mr. Garrison was right beyond any
question when he said at q dinner IN this
city on Monday evening: "1ou cannot pos
sibly have any military system worthy OF
the name based on forty-eight different
armies. operating under forty-eight sep
arate authorities. raised. offcered and
trained by forty-eight commanders IN
chief. and the suggestion that this hybrid
incoherent. utterly insufficient system is
turned into an effective and trustworthy
system by merely providing that the men
who 60 into the state organizations must
agree to serve the national government IN
time of war is deceptive IN the extreme.
No one who has studied the military his
tory of the United States would think ot
maintaining that the state militia organl-
cations ever have furnished US with a sat
isfactorv basis for q military system, or
ever will furnish US with basis for
military system worthy of the name. The
most that can bc expected Of the militia
organizations Is that they shall provide
reserve of partially trained troops OF
second or third line quality. The state
o,,ards. mustered into the national ser
vice. could be so organized and instructed
rat in a year or more they would be
available TO fiji gaps in the first line. II
they do this they have fulfilled their nor
nal function.
We have not opposed the creation OF a
Continental army because we thought that
the present militia organizations furnished
a sufficient second line Of support to our
undetermined regular army. They do not
and can not do this. But it is not case
with us of choosing between the state
militia and the Conunentals. We believe
that the Continentals would be equally
valueless as a basis on which to build our
national defence. Having one unframed
or half-trained body Of reserves on our
hands, We cannot see the need at present
of creating another, and even larger, body
of a similar character.
= What is needed above all other things
IN is an improved and adequate first line
" the only line on which a really efficient
military system can be based Our present
regular establishment is too small TO dc
It's work. It cannot defend our shores
Worse than that. it cannot furnish the
means Of instructing, organizing and as
similating the unframed troops which
would have TO be called into the field III
time Of war. Its machinery would break
down utterly were IT TO be put TO the
strain of utilizing the second and third
line material to be furnished to it by the
Continental army or the national guard
We cannot see any hope for a system
which does not start with a regular army
of a minimum strength under arms OF
25O.O0O and reserves Of its own quality
capable of expanding it TO war strength
Of from 500 600 70 100000.
We are glad TO emphasize our belief IN
Nr. Garrisons entire sincerity rs worker
for army reorganization. He has pinned
his faith on the Continentals in part be-
cause lie feels that the effort 10 raise
100000 volunteer troops, whether 1t failed
or not, would open the eyes of the country
20 the magnitude Of our military problem
Mr.. Garrison holds, as nearly every other
intelligent military student does, that the
United States must come TO some form OF
universal service. lie intimated to the
House Committee on Military Affairs, when
he testified before il recently, that even q
failure Of the Continental army scheme
would be of some benefit, since II would
nut souarely up to Congress and to public
opinion the question of conscription-ot
service bearing equally on all citizens.
Yet. if 100000 Continentals, serving
only two months each year, cannot be re-
cruited by the volunteer method, what
assurance is there that 10000 or more
additional regulars can be recruited In that
manner? If it is merely matter OF test
ing the volunteer system, the test could be
made lust as well by enlarging the regular
establishment as by creating Continental
army Of 100000. If we are to have a
larger army-an adequate army-we shall
undoubtedly have TO change very materl-
allv the conditions under which the army
is to be recruited. Many old ideas IN
herited from the period Of border service,
petty posts. soldering as trade and detach-
inent from the ordinary life of the country
will have to be changed. The regular army
will have 10 be brought into closer touch
with other national activities, to be mod