New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-21

OF flve years. And II Is not easy ior
those who have taken an interest IN
military affairs to forget to what ex-
tent the spur Of popular agitation had
to be applied before any army reor-
ganization at all was undertaken, or
to forget how hard the first man to
speak boldly for preparedness Mr..
NGardner, a Republican, had to night
the President (who called him "ner-
yous and excited") before anything was
accomplished, or to forget that just
twelve days before Mr.. Wilson took
the oath Of office there arose a situa-
ton in Mexico which obviously .e-
quired a greater regular force within
the continental United States than our
establishment could supply, an emer-
eency which for three years cried
aloud to all who had ears to hear, while
nothing was done.
DR.. Eliot's third reason is that the
Administration proposed to Congress
the creation Of large Federal
force in support Of that (regular)
army" Is the distinction between pro-
posing an improvement in our military
system and remaining satisfied with .
retrogression therein lost on Or. Eliot
In the fourth place, DR.. Eliot con-
siders it merit that the "Administra-
ton and Congress adopted 9.
| federalizing Of the state milltias IN
place of the creation of secondary
Federal army" and provided for much
higher military expenditures than FOR
merly, thus making "a sincere effor,
TO make out OF the state militias ma
I tional troops competent for quick mob
ilization and prompt service IN the
field" This sincere effort was mon
ument Of bungling. 1t is an example OF
the vicious result of civilian unwilling
ness to take military advice with re-
gard to legislation upon technical mill
tary questions. It is the kind OF legis-
lation which has cost the United States
| tens Of thousands of lives and billions
of money. Moreover, the militia pay
| bill was purely a political measure, CIV
ing as it did to a militia private about
three times the pay which the more
efficient regular private received Tor
an equivalent period of service. IL ala
what had never been done before-put
the national land forces into politics.
Then DR.. Eliot, confessing 1t to have
been q blunder, avows his bellef that
the blunderers should be returned 70
Office because the blunder has been OF
great service to the country by dem
onstrating on the Mexican border that
! the liberalization of the militia is not
the right way to procure a natlonai
force" | wonder if he would hold the
same admiration for the blunder had
the demonstration been made not upon
the Mexican border but in clash be-
tween the federalized militia and Euro
mean troops somewhat further north,
saw at Bladensburg, Md, where in the
War of 1912 there was notable dem
onstration Of the fate which awaits III
trained, hastily modified and unhar-
dened state militias at the heads OF
regular troops. AS it is, no one knows
how long the blundcr perpetrated by
Mr.. Hay and Mr. Wilson will block our
progress toward real army reorganiza-
| ton.
It is as futile for President Emeritus
Eliot to claim for the Democratic Ad-
ministration and Congress exclusive
credit for the good that has been ac-
complished as for him to treat their
blunders and shortcomings as virtues
On the whole, considering the history
Of the preparedness movement and the
record Of the last session, remembering
the vacillation OF the President and
the number Of influential Democrats IN
Congress who played the role Of OBJ
structionists, it is evident that per
haps the greater share Of any credit
to be awarded should go to the Republ-
cans in Congress and to the popular
agitation which arose. And when we
consider our history since the Spanish
War we find that it was only under Re
publican administrations that the full
measure Of adequate naval prepared
ness was obtained.
ALEXANDER GORDON.
New York, Oct. 10, 1915.