New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-01
A Sham and a Fraud.

army reorganization law as a sham and
a fraud. He points out that 1t has failed
TO increase the strength Of the regular
army; that it has federalized the state
militia only in name and created perma-
nent "pork-barrep second line Organlza-
ton Of state troops, susceptible of constant
use in politics; that it prevented the crea-
ton of a genuine national reserve of partly
trained men; that it is therefore measure
not of preparedness, but of anti-prepared-
ness. and until repealed, will be a fatal
obstacle to any real reorganization of our
military system.
These are all true findings. They repeat
exactly what The Tribune has been saying
for many monthS-what it said even before
the Hay law was put to the test in the
mobilization Of the militia for service on
the Texas border.
When Mr.. Hay first offered his militia
liberalization bill in the House; when the
House passed it, changed in no material
respects for the better; and again when
the Senate unwisely yielded in conference
all that was vital and hopeful in the Cham
berlain measure, we predicted the failure
of the Hay scheme to do even the little
which it pretended to do and denounced it
as an effort to defeat any genuine reorgan-
i2ation of our Anticipated military estab-
lishment.
We were in a small minority then
most organs Of public opinion preferring
either TO treat the law as it came out Of
conference as a moderately successful solu-
ton of the military problem. or to postpone
judgment on it until it should have an
actual trial
Now, we are glad to see, there Is no
longer any serious division of opinion. The
wretched failure Of the mobilization has
opened everybody's eyes. The militia
gathered on the Mexican border have not
shown the training or the qualities needed
in a second line, supposed TO be capable of
quick absorption into the regular estab-
lishment. 1t is not their fault that they
have not exhibited these qualities or that
degree of training. It is the fault Of those
who concocted and passed the fraudulent
Hay bill that the state guards were en-
ployed for military purposes for which
they are in no way suited.
Even the Presidents supporters are no
longer defending the Hay act. In that
masterpiece Of unconscious humor, "The
Achievements of the Democratic Party"
which Mr.. Charles w. Eliot has contrib
uted to "The Atlantic Monthly" for Octo-
Der, this extraordinary apology Is made
for the Hay law fasco
"The Administration and Congress
adopted, on urgent representations
from militia officers, a federalizing Of
the state militias in place Of the crea-
ton Of a secondary federal army, and
enacted law which provides for very
much higherexpe.g,trfg1f = yihtary
purposes tiian has ever before been
enacted except during the Civil War.
The Administration and Congress thus
made sincere effort 10 make out Of
the state militias national troops com
petent for quick mobilization and
prompt service in the field.
"The wisdom Of yielding to the views
Of the militia officers may well be
questioned; but it was not TO any par
tisan arguments that the Administra-
ton yielded but rather to a sense Of
the urgency of new military prepare
ton. When more troops were sud
denly needed on the Mexican border,
the Administration called on the state
r.1 rcr,rico bofcro thou
were really federalized and now (Au-
gust 49, has in service there the mill
tias Of the few states that really pos
sessed an organized and partially
equipped militia. To be sure, these
recent acts on the part Of the Admin
istration have had negative results, 50
far as the development Of an adequate
military force for the United States is
concerned. II turned out that only a
minority Of the states had any com
petent militia organizations; and that
even in those states the militia was
ppeace footing and contained many
unframed officers and many privates
who on account Of their age and occu-
pations ought not 10 be called upon for
service al distance from their homes.
"From the point Of view Of those
Americans who desire that their coun-
try should have always at command an
army competent 70 resist any possible
invasion, and so ysbly formidable
that IL will prevent even the strongest
military nation from attacking the
United states, The I,yesent 4 dmin6tra-
tim has done great service 10 the
country by demOnstr1ting On the Mcr-
ican 5order that the naturalization Of
the miittin "a not the Ti0ht a0oy 10 pro-
cure competent national force."
The nalyet6 Of this defence may APP
peal N itsauthor, but IL will hardly appeal