Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-14

! THERE is general agreement outside Of
| i Congress on the Importance of enlarging
! the military forces of the nation. The dis
| agreement is upon the best way to bring it
| about
Mr.. Garrison wrote to the President on
January 10 that
The very first line of cleavage which must
be encountered and dealt with by the stu
dent of the situation is between reliance
upon n system Of state troops. forever sub
ject to constitutional limitations which rem
der them absolutely Insecure as reliance
for the nation, reliance upon national
forces raised, offcercd trained and con-
trolled by the national authorities
Mr. Garrison argued that the state troops
were valueEAs as a national army and that
any law intended to make them the sole re-
serve force of the nation would be worse
than useless, because it would lead the peo-
pie to think that adequate provision had
been made for future contingencies.
The President does not go so far as Mr..
Garrison but he does not utterly disagree
with him. He wrote on February 10:
am not yet convinced that the measure
of preparation for national defense which
we deem necessary can be obtained through
the instrumentaty of the National Guard
under Federal control and training.
Although he was not convinced. the Presi-
dent said he was willing to keep an open
mind on the subject and give to Congress an
opportunity to see what it could do.
1t is important to know what the powers
of Congress are in the premises as well as
what are the powers of the President over
the militia. Here is what the Constitution
says on the subject:
Article I. The Congress shall have power
Sec. 10. To provide for calling forth the
mi tO
suppress insurrection and repel invasion
Sec. 16. To provide for organizing, arm
ing and disclpnnr the militia and for gov
ernins such part of them as may be en-
ployed in the service of the United States,
rcserving to the States. respectively, the
appointment of officers and the authority OF
training the militia according to the dis
ciplne prescribed by Congress.
Art. II. Sec. ., paragraph 1. The Presi-
dent shall be commander-in-chlef OF the
army and navy of the United States and of
the militia OF the several states when called
into actual service of the United States.
man does not need to be lawyer to con-
clude from these provisions that the Ma
tional Guard is not a national force until 1t
is called to the service of the National Gov
ernment ITO execute the laws of the Union,
suppress insurrecton and repel INVASION 1t |
is a State force in command of the State
officers No militia regiment has ever en-
tered the national service as such. The men
have had to enlist in a national volunteer
army and be transferred by an act Of their
own from the jurisdiction of the State to that
of the nation.
1t is proposed to increase the control of the |
National Government over the State troops |
by paying the officers and men out of the |
Federal treasury and holding up the pay |
unless they meet certain requirements in the |
way of training and discipline. and it is |
planned also to get around the necessity of |
re-enlistments in national army when the |
State troops are needed for national service |
by inserting a pledge on the original enlist |
ment in the National Guard that the man |
will serve the nation wherever he may be |
sent But it is evident from the provisions |
of the Constitution that, although Congress |
may prescribe the discipline of the State |
troops. it has no power to enforce it against |
the will of the States, and has no control |
over the State troops save when they are |
in national service.
No proposition for using the National |
Guard as the basis of reserve army has
included any device for putting 1t under
direct national control in time of peace. 1t |
is proposed that there should be As separate |
reserve armies under command OF As differ |
ent authorities The National Guard Asso- |
ciation which favors liberalization OF the |
organized militia, has perceived that there |
must be a constitutional amendment be- |
fore even the sembIance Of national con- !
troll in time of war can be secured. is leg
islative committee has recommended that !
Congress submit an amendment making the |
State troops available for service wherever |
the regular army may be sent, and providing |
for the organization of a Federal militia in !
those States where the local militia is not
maintained in accordance with the Federal
requirements.
Much can be said in favor of such an |
amendment. because under it the War De-
partment could create a reserve force in
almost every State in the Union subject 10 !
immediate and direct control of the comman- !
der-ln-chief of the national armies. But Con- |
gress is not considering any sort of a conati-
tutiOnaI amendment,
No one whose judgment Is worth consider
ing believes the organized militia can be fed |
eralized by Congress under the Constitution !
as il stands. The chief congressional advo- |
Gates of reliance on the National Guard are !
opponents OF preparedness. They see no
emergency of sufficient gravity TO justify
any radical change from past policies, They
admit it. The purpose of the Presidents
Western tour was TO start baclSfre that |
would compel Congress TO act, There is no
doubt that the nation demands a national
army 1t does not care about the details so
long 1t gets results