Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1916-04-21
NATIONAL GUARD
GETS PANN|NG p"
SENATOR BORAH ELECTRlFlES
SENATE WITH STATEMENT
FUNDS ARE WASTED.
OFFICERS GET ALL BIG MONEY
Suggestions Made for New Army Sill.
Take Oath to Obey Orders From
President as Well as Governor
Looting of Funds Shown.

Washington.-Two more provisions
designed to strengthen the federal
written into the senate army bill. In
the course of a debate enlivened by
charges that federal funds provided
the national guard in past years had
been foolishly thrown away and in
some cases embezzled, the senate
adopted amendments providing that
all officers of the guard above the
rank of captain, be paid $500 a year
by the federal government and that
all guardsmen on enlistment be re-
CURED to take an oath to obey orders
from the president as well as the gov
ernor of their respective states.
The attack on guard officers for
their use of federal funds was made
by Senator Borah in speech oppos
ing the Reed amendment for federal
pay. The Idaho senator declared the
$S,000,000 available annually for use of
the guard under the Dick militia law
had been shamefully utilized by Of
ficers to the exclusion of enlisted
men and that some of it had been
embezzled" Several senators de-
Tended the guardsmen and the fed
eral pay amendment was adopted, Al
to IA.
Schools of Training.
Senator Reed introduced an amend
ment for schools to train young men
as officers of the army and navy. The
secretaries of war and navy. would be
authorized to divide the country into
from six to IL districts, each contain
ing a school for the instruction of re-
servists from IA to 20 years old. En-
listment would be for 10 years, the
first four to be spent in school and the
rest in reserve.
In his speech Senator Borah declared
that the $S,O00,O00 a year now appro-
priated by the government for the ma
tional guard was "shamefully wasted"
and some of it "embezzled."
Borah Repeats Charge.
That's a pretty serious charge" de-
clared Senator Pomerene, democratic,
interrupting.
well, l make it without any qualifi-
cation" Senator Borah replied, and he
read from war department reports to
show what most of the fund had been
utilized by officers of the national
{ guard for themselves and that enlisted
, men had practically no benefit Of it.
"If senators here will examine the
record of these appropriations" Sena-
tor Borah continued, they will hest
I tate about appropriating $50,000,000
: for the national guard as it is now pro-
$ posed to do.
+ I'm this bill you are not preparing
+ for war. You are not giving the people
what they are expecting to pay for.
> We are filling this bill up from begin
ming to end with purely political ap-
e preparations and you could not pro
S coed a step under the guise of nation
o al preparedness"
= Senators Pomerene and Reed
staunchly defended the national guard
L Reed Defends Guard.
There may be a thief in the ma
. . tional guard but so there have been
in the regular army and senators
from this body have been sent tC
: JAIL" declared Senator Reed. "But
{ am not willing to hear honorable mer
. maligned without sufficient provoca
ton"
Senator Borah in support of his
: charge, said:
= 81 find, according to the report o.
! the war dedaptrement, that in the
3. Ohio national rifle match in 1911, $13,
n 1872 was expended on the state rifle
q. team, all of whom were officers. II
n the period from July %, 1911, to Sep
IS TENDER 23, 1912, a colonel drew pay t
the amount of SAIL. In the perio'
from July 1, 1911, to September IL
n 1912, another officer. also in the sam
G. state, a colonel, drew pay to the sun
lg of $16O1.
Ohio Fund Dissipated.
or In the period from July 80, 1911, t
E. September 1, 1913, a third colonel i
e. that state drew pay to the amount @
~ $1299 So the entire appropriation, o
IT, apportionment, to the state of Ohio TO
10 this year practically went to the o
90 ficers and there is no report of an
IN portion of it going to the enlisted meI
Is 81 do not know that there are an
officers of the national guard whom
90 would distrust personally" he said.
,e, call the attention of senators that
or have not made a general charge.
m, have said that the money appropria
y, ed under the Dick law has been shame
fully used.
Let them disprove the figures, ar
if they do l am not too proud
of apologize, but 1 will say now that th
by more they are disposed to delve int
off the record of the last eight y ears tn
tn less they will be inclined to expos
Dr. their findings on the floor of the Sc
or ate"