Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-03-04
PORK BARREL PREPAREDNESS

PORK BARREL PREPAREDNESS
Congress is not az a rule overburdened
with dsinterested patriotism and the pres
ent Congress is to put IL mildly, no excep-
tion to the rule in this respect.
The country has become thoroughly
aroused to the necessity that we shouia
| make immediate preparation for adequate
defense against possible aggression; so
much so that Congress probably feels that
II must take some action.
II Is impossible however, TO escape the
conclusion that there Is very decided In
tenton to combine the creation of new
pork barrel" with any action LOOKING
toward preparedness.
The absurdity of confning our prepara-
tons to defend ourselves to building up the
state militia of the various states must be
manifest TO any one who gives the question
thoughtful and disinterested considerations
and to those who have not given 1t such
consideration recommend careiul
| study of the correspondence between FORMER
| Secretary Garrison and the President
We feel and feel strongly, that any Con-
| gresham who participates in deuDerate
| attempt to delude the people by substituting
| pork barrel" preparedness for real and
efficient preparedness by providing mere
subsidized local militia instead or a real
national armed force, is morally aithougn
not technically and probably not con-
sciously, a traitor, and while such Con-
gressman cannot be dealt with ACCORDING
to his real merits, 1t Is to he hoped that
an enlightened public sentiment will at the
earliest opportunity put him where ne
properly belongs-in the rear rank OF
private life
If local pork barrel" interests be per-
mitted to override national interests In this
vital matter of preparedness the time VIII
come when membership in the present Con-
gress will be considered stigma rather
than an honor, a badge of disgrace rather
than an insignia of worth.-Bcnch ana Bar
A SPADE is a spade and a spade it must
n be called We reproduce the foregoing edi-
md bpCnngn
clear-cut a statement of the true situation
as has yet appeared.
1t is time for citizens to consider calmly
the entire situation as it has presented itself
in the House OF Representatives. It has
played with preparedness from the beginning
This leader and that has talked about pre-
paredncss as a sort Of prize package or grab
bag new kind of pork" suddenly brought
within reach and to be capitalized to the
limit.
The plans for a real national army, proposed
by men who know that there can be no such
thing so long a. the command Is divided
among the Governors of IS States, were re-
lected by the congressional leaders The
reasons they eaye for their opposition were
various. but no one was so bold as to say
that national reserve force, raised by spe-
cifc direction of Congress. and under the i'm
mediate command of officers of the National
Government. would not be the most efficient
force conceivable. 1t would conflict with and
rival the National Guard, we were told, as
though the National Guard were anything
but State force, dependent on State authority
and under absolute State control save IN
time Of actual war. Even then it cannot be
drafted into the national forces 1t has to
volunteer.
80
norls-barrel Conrressmen have substituted a
plan for an enlarged organized State militia,
with 500 paid militiamen in each congressional
district-a beautiful scheme for dividing the
spoils and entrenching unscrupuous leaders
in power They would have 500 salaried
workers. who would have to do nothing for
their pay save drill occasionally under the
supervision of State officers
That such a force would be a broken reed
is evident on the slightest consideration. The
Congressman who are proposing it know that
1t would provide for no real defense, They
know that the nation is unprepared now
and that all plans in such Il chaotic con-
dition that immediate preparation would be
extremely difficult. Therefore, they are in the
mood to back down in every controversy with
a foreign Power.
1t is these pork-barrel scuttlers in the
House who are behind the proposition to de-
clare by formal vote that Americans have no
rights which Germany is bound to consider,
and that national honor is a thing of such
trivial consequence that it should not be re-
garded for a moment if there is to be any
trouble in forcing the world to respect it.
They are ready to turn tail and run in every
crisis.
When they have established to their sat
isfaction that there is no danger of war;
when they have proved to the world that 1t
can treat the United States with contempt
without running any danger; when they have
demonstrated that the way to peace is the
way of ignomnious poltroonery, then they
can say: Behold there is danger of
war. You have seen the nation pass through
crisis after crisis without the firing Of
gun or the utterance of an angry word.
Therefore a great national army is not
needed; but give us this enlarged militia for
the good which It will do the nation 1t is a
fine thing to give military training to the
citizens in the States 1t will encourage
patriotism If the organized militia is appor-
toned among the congressional districts uni
formly so that there can be no favoritism."
But we do not believe that this nation will
submit to any such betrayal of its honor.
Nor do we believe that it will tolerate much
longer the kind of pork-barrel patriotism,
which is nothing but greed for spoils. We
have not yet sunk so low as to be willing
to sell our birthright of freedom and our