Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-12-08
General Hugh |, Scott, Chief
of Staff, Does Not MinCe
Words in Annual Report, on
Military Affairs,
HAY LAW MUST BE
PROMPTLY REPEALED
Senator Borah Has Measure
Designed to Abolish VOIun-
tary PI8O' or Securing Train
ed Soldiers,

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Washington, Dec. THE failure
Of the voluntary system, as embodied
In the Hay law, Is now admitted on
all sides. the last testimonial to that
effect being given in the annual re-
port of Mai. gen. Hugh L. Scott, chief
of staff of the army which was made
public today. Regarding the feder-
alized national guard, General Scott
says
"In my Judgment the country will
never be prepared for defense until
we do so as other great nations do
that have large interests to guard,
like Germany Japan and France,
where everybody is ready and does
perform military service in time OF
peace as he would pay every other
tax, and is willing to make sacrifices
for the protection he gets and the
country gets ia return. There is no
reason why one woman's son should
go out and defend or be trained to
defend another woman and her son
who refuses to take the training or
give service, The only democratic
method is for every man in youth to
become trained in order that he may
render efficient service If called upon
in war;
Taking up the question of the ma
tional guard in. its federal status,
General Scott declares the training
period of seventy-five days in three
years provided by the new national
defense act is wholly Inadequate.
Unfit for War.
"ln my Judgment" he says, u pre-
emdes this force from being made ftt
for war service rntil II bus reeHNsa
at least six months additional train
ing in time of war
The report reterates tho opinion
that il takes a year of inteasive train
ing to make q soldier anu adds that
the country and congress appear to
have vital misconceptlon of the
facts i'm this regard. Unless the fed
eralized guard which congress sub
stltuted for the citizen volunteer army
advocated by the general staff can be
given greater training, General scott
says, the country faces a serious sit
uation.
And 1t Is very doubtful, he con-
tinues, 1--WE will be able to do SO and
keep the force recruited THE diff
Guilty that is now being experienced In
obtaining recruits for the regular
army and for the national guard in
service on the border raises sharply
the question of whether we Will be
able to recruit the troops authorized
in the national defense act
Recruiting Is Slow.
In spite Of the fact that the pre-
paredncss agitation stimulated inter-
est while the effort now being made
to bring the border forces UP to war
strength, General Sctrt 'Asserts,' three
months Of recruiting, left many na-
tional guard units still below mini
mum strength. Every effort was
made to get the men, he says, a
1ouse-to-house canvass being conduct"
cd In some sections.
THE failure, says the report,
Should make the whole people real
ze that tho volunteer system does not
and probably will not, give us either
he men we need for training in peace
pr for service i'm war"
General Scott gives at length statis-
les on the national guard mobiliza-
ion available when his report WAS
written September 30. He shows that
n all states with 1900 enrolled
yuardsmen guardsmen at the time OF
he call, more than 10 per cent failed
o respond and 20 per cent of the re-
could not passed required
physical tests, making the force 4S per
.ent raw recruits when it went to the
1order Brought up to war strength,
ne says, the force would have been rs
Der cent green men and useless for
war purposes for many months.
"Thcsc figures probably hold good
or the entire body of the national
guards the report adds.
What the Facts Show.
An aggregate force Of 151, ,096 Off
ers and men Of the guard we're mus
cred into the federal service under
hc call and about 1l0,957 were on tho
,order q month and half after the
all was issued, The general COM
ncnds highly the efficiency of the
ailroads in handling the mobilization.
Turning to the recruiting in the reg
lar army, the report says that the
ervice was 30, 1870 short OF its au-
horzed strength on August 81 last.
ietWcen March Is, when congress au-
horized bringing the army up to
var strength by adding 20,6O0 men,
nd August 81, only S,46S men were
nrolled.
ct Is cause for very sober consider
ion on the part Of every citizen IN the
ountry when the fact Is fully under
TODD General Scott says, and also
that the units Of the national guard
nd regular army has not been re-
ruited to war strength in the crisis
,o have Just passed through"
The report SHOWS that the mohlli2Cd
ational guard force not only was
more than $1,000 below war strength,
nat was more than 1000 below au-
horized minimum peace strength.
Garrison Was Right.
At the outset Of the new congress
ional session It is apparent that
trong opinion exists among senators
nd representative that the federal
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