New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-07
A REAL NATIONAL GUARD
Mr.. Stimson Advocates Giving
Complete Control of Militia
TO Federal Government.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: ! have read with interest your ed
torial commenting on Mr.. Gompers's eIesl'
lent letter in favor OF military training on
pointing out the necessity OF relieving o.
citizen soldiery from the performance Of stat
police duty. You place your finger upon ~
evil which has restricted the numbers OF OF
national guard and which has impaired IL
usefulness. Il should be vital first pr
ciple in our present work OF placing our NIL
tafy establishment upon f. sound bass
make sure that the force Of citizen solder
which We plan TO create as our great seeoH
line of defence and main reliance after "
regular army should be purely SOLDER
should be a force with which every Ga" y
our citizens is in full sympathy and in vtn
they all feel patriotic duty 10 serve.
Our principal difficulty, however, is not u
the recognition OF this principle, but IN u
application in the legislation now before w
cress. The only way TO accomplish this "
IS TO transfer the entire control, IN time .
reace as in time OF war. OF such poo' '
citizen soldiery TO the Federal goyernne'
Now, this is precisely what we cannon y
under the Federal Constitution 80 lons
such sodiery remains militia. The MINI
are q state force and are so recognized "
the Federal Constitution, and when IN W.
editorial you speak Of Undertaking. tue
tional guard" you are talking about 40
possibility so long as the national guard !"
mains a militia.
Il can only be "Federalized" in the sense
which you are aiming b. releasing " en''''s
from the control Of the states and turni's
over bag and baggage, body, boots ana ~.
to the central government. Just so i0ns
the states retain any interest IN " inc!
use il as they always have done, as p''A,
and will neglect the establishment Of
constabulary TO do police work. sucn "
would also remain subject 20 the fa's' y.
tary error Of being subject to the Wy!
ideas of discipline and control eyineea
forty-eight different governments anu
manders in chief. ~.
You suggest that the remedy is i'' ~ Is.
gress TO give "the authority 70 cai oS'
militia 70 the President alone, as N 'ns '"
of the regular army" This would feq.-
constitutional amendment for the Presl''..,
power 10 cali out the militia is now "-
by the Constitution, and under the O0n.~~
ton his authority as COMMANDER
with the Governors of the various s'a'''.
wait for a constitutional amendment
hamstring the whole cause OF prepA'' 80
The aim which you have in we" can,
ever. be accomplished without an a"e''
Congress has ample power under o'"', q
visions Of our Constitution to pfO'', ~,
the creation of new force OF citizen
which shall be wholly under the nA''0" 70
eminent Such legislation could prov'''
Mr.. Garrison's recent bill did LOT ''' .;,.
fer into this new force Of such orss"'
OF the national guard as might oesn .,,.s
with the consent OF their RESPECTIVE Az
and this is the only way. without 49, y
tional amendment. by which the s'S''
truly "Federalized. ~
The so-called military pay Dill ~ !, rs
ing before Congress is douoly Nle'VN a Il
il not only leaves the natonsi n Il
state force. but it tends TO perpe'.,, e,:s
that status by giving 1t an additions, -
interest in the national Treasury ~
this nav bin in the shape in which u a. c..,rs
recommended by the National Gusro .usss
ton and favorably discussed before vi III ,rsg
Committee on Military Affairs VIC "~.,tss
in each Congressional district new y, '.pas
Congressional patronage when W. ,,ss v
fastcn irrevocably upon our soVe,"Is VI
vice of a system which has pr's es,s =
structive failure in every war IN
have used it, and which in times AZ y
has done more to render military SER. ser, ~
tasteful to our labor men than .usS
cause. For that reason deem u 80
most extreme Importance that susr r,vs0I |
not taken. hENhi
New York. March q. 1915