Evening journal., 1916-05-16
CALLS ARMY BILL
ONLY A MAEESHIFT
H. A. Wise Wood Insists on
the Necessity of Com
pulSory Training
STOTESBURY
ON THE MILITIA

NEW YORK, May 16--Henry A. Wise
Wood. chairman Of the conference com
mittee on national preparedness. was
outspoken in his condemnation Of the
compromise army bill, which he
characterized as only make-shltt
"The bill is wholly Inadequate ne
said Even IL as small a number OF
troops as that were large enough lor
our needs the manneFof raising them
is unsatisfactory, because the pro-
posed statute provides that they are
10 be enlisted over q period OF hNe
years
I'VE need now that number OF men
who should be already in training so
that We could hold them ready for use
in a vear We must have UNIVERSAL
military training. which should be au-
thorized by Congress at once. Moth
ing else will give us q modern MILF
tary establishment. because at present
we are the only first class power
which remains upon voluntary SER
vice basis.
Whatever this Congress does will
surely be upset by the next Congress
since the contemplated bill Is so in
ADEQUATE as TO be ridiculous. IL has
been estimated by the General staff
of the army that It will take 743, 900
trained men. capable of being mobiliz-
cd in thirty days, TO defend the east
ern seahoard alone. and that nothing
less will be of any service.
1--WE ought to be able to put 100000
men i'm the field within thirty days on
both coasts. We should have another
10000 within easy reach.
"The militia feature Of the measure
is wholly unsatisfactory The number
of men authorized for the National
Guard Is insufficient, and they are moi
Federalzed in the true sense OF the
word. We do not want State armies
but national armies. wholly under ma
tional control"
Adt. Gen. Louis w Stotesbury OF
the National Guard OF this State
did not make any comment on
the militia provisions Of the bill as
applied TO other States beyond saying
that he felt the rest Of the country
would be able TO raise the number o'
guerdsmen required. He preferred 70
confne his remarks to New York.
whatever may be provided as "a
the strength of the militia" he de-
clared. "there is no question that New
York will be able TO raise It's quota
This is assured by the bill OF Senator
stivers, which will come up before the
Governor for hearing tomorrow
"In anticipation Of Federal legisla
ton like this the bill has been drafted
with provision that in order TO main
tain the National Guard OF tht
State al any standard prescribed b.
Congress the Governor may issue ;
call for volunteers. If that fails th'
Governor may call upon the super
visor of the town or the Mayor OF the
city where a National Guard organiza'
ton is located to raise ii to the re
Quired number.
III that in turn fails the principle Of
the draft may be applied in the city
or town to bring the organizations M
10 the standard. In any event New
York will be able to do its part
"As far as the extension OF th'
Plattsburg idea is concerned in The
proposed measure I suppose that am
system that tends to elevate the mill
tary instruction of our people il
worth considering"
S. Stanwood Menken, vice presiden
and one Of the founders Of the Ma
tional Security League. looks with dis
favor on the army bill. declaring tina
the only practical. democractic way 4
develop a modern army is some form
Of conscriptiOn.
"We have always been against vol
unteer army" said Mr. Menken, speak
ing for the men allied with him i'm tn
cause OF military preparedness, "an