The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-02-04
BETTER RELY
ON MILITIA
The Continental Plan Is No
Good, Says Pear
son
MILITIA PAY WOULD
BRING SURPLUS
CONSUMPTION Is the Best
Plan of All, He De-
clares

! Washington, Feb. 4.--Two of the fore
most militia men of Massachusetts,, Ma
/ ior General Gardner W. Pearson ant
Brigadier General E. Leroy Sweetser ar
gued for federal recognition of the Ma
tional Guard before the House commit
tee on military affairs yesterday morn
! ing.
General Sweetsers remarks were large
| ly in answer to questions put by Repre-
sentative Olney of Massachusetts, but in
conclusion he stated that the Massachu-
setts militia believes first and foremost
in preparedness and wants to be an eff
cient organization.
"We want to be among the first line
troops in time of war" he said, "and we
want to be fitted for that purpose"
In answer to question by Represen-
tative Kahn as to whether the militia
would like to be drafted, General Sweet
ser said: mo. The enlisted men would
want to 90 to war without being draft
ed"
General Sweetser said he believed in
the militia pay bill because it leads to
discipline, because it provides for the ac.
countability of property; and because it
gives man an excuse for being a mem
Der of the militia when his friends ask
him why he is wasting his time. He
testified to a successful mobilization of
the militia last summer TO which be-
tween 90 and % per cent of the men re-
sponded.
Major General Pearson declared that
patriotic armies had never been success
full and cited history of the United States
for assertions and mutiny under the sys
tenn. He favored, consequently, the mi
litia plan bill, as second only to con
scription, which he considered the best
preparation against war. 1t is also the
democratic method, he declared He con-
sidered it would be impossible to obtain
men under the continental army scheme
of Secretary Garrison. Why start an
other system, he asked, when the militia
is a going concern and can muster 100000
men within six months Efficiency OF
the militia in gun practice and in the
field was not so far behind that OF the
regular army he declared, quoting from
LllH IepbIL VI tIE uisptthoi EGHci a. llt
also said that the absentees from the
National Guard were no more numerous
than the desertiens from the regular
army.
General Pearson viewed the continen
tai army plan as hopeless failure be-
fore it started.
IF the militia. as has been stated, |
won't respond to a call in time of war"
said he what hope Is there that this |
continental army would respond in time
Of peace3 / don't mean to argue that |
he militia always have been found good /
soldiers. They haven't. They have run
Iway in good shape; but properly led I
hey have time and again proved them
selves good soldiers"
General Pearson said he personally ia
'ored CONSUMPTION on the theory that
behind every ballot should be a bullet"
Efforts to build up the National Guard
N basis of patriotism, he said, had
'een failure. Militia pay, he feared,
would produce too many recruits
Adiutant General Tillotson of the Yer
mont National Guard, argued that the
'uardsmen had vested right in any ma
ional army that might be formed, and
e declared it was no answer to say
hat they could go into the continentals,
or they would not do so.
Before the naval committee, Rear Ad-
niral Strauss continued his explanation
f details of the naval appropriation
i'll relating to ordinance.
The House committee wound up its
earrings of National Guard representa-
ives after Adiutant General Martin of
.ansas, General Cole and Colonel Dorsey
Connecticut, General Sweetser of Mas
achusetts. General Chase of Colorado {
nd Colonel Freese Of Ohio had expressed !
themselves in favor of liberalization of '
be state organizations. Chairman HAY I
nnounced that hearings would be con /
uded Feb. IL.