The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-24
Former Secretary of Navy, Visiting in Birmingham,
 Says Presidents Plan
 Should Be Enacted
PAYS HIS RESPECTS TO CONGRESSMEN WHO IGNORE PAST RESULTS
Alabamian, Now Living in Washington, Says Con- federate Reunion Will
 Be Greatest in History

1 The insertion of little back hone into some of the congressmen
 who are standing out against the
 policies of President Wilson for
 i prosecution of the should not
 be nmiss at this time in the opinion
 of Col. Hilary A. Herbert, secre-
 tary of the Navy in President CIeveland's cabinet and for many
 years representative in Congress from the Second Alabama district. Colonel Herbert. who is spending a few days in the city as the guest of
 Mr. and Mrs. Edward Wilson at Wood ward, talked interestingly of the sit uation now confronting the United States.
 With the knowledge based upon eX- perience, he calls strongly for the em- aetment of the full programme of President Wilson, and especially that part relating to universal training With the Civil war as a basis, he shows that the volunteer system will not meet the needs. and cites the case of England, which in the present strug- gle was forced to come to conscription after needless waste of thousands oi her best men.
 The distinguished visitor. to whom is given credit for inaugurating the movement during Cleveland's adminis- tration which brought America from the very bottom of the big nations as naval power to a position whei e she was able to assume some place among the leaders, was caused in his references to those congressman who set their opinion on military matters up against that of experts of admitted ability and experience. No new light can be shed on the situation by end less debate. he declared. A GREAT REUNION Colonel Herbert who resides in Washington. states that the. reunion in June will be the greatest ever held
 in the history of the Confederate Vet erans' association and that the national
 capital will entertain the old soldiers as they have never been entertained in any other city.
 'T most heartily approve the au- nouncement of Gen. George P Harrf- son, commander in chief of the United Confederate Veterans. that the reunion in Washington will be held as usual regardless of the war" he said There were some good men who thought that the reunion. while we are entering upon what might be a serious war, was inappropriate. Their opinions were worthy of consideration. General Harrison took time and after extended inquiries decided that the veterans by a large majority believed as he did that the present was the time of all for the Confederates to go to Washington. CONGRESSMEN NEED BACKBONE ''We think our tramp aIong Pennsylvania avenue would put little backbone into some of our congressman, I wish that this week had been set for our visit and next week for n similar visit by the Grand Army of the Repub- lie. If only this could be so, would venture to say that in 10 days after the two visits were over the Presidents programme would be enacted into law and the congressman on their way home to look after their food crops and their political fences.
 "I have consulted with many veter- ans during my two months in Florida and two weeks in Alabama and I have yet to find single veteran suggest ing that the Presidents programme ought to be modified in any way. They think that Woodrow Wilson, who knows more than any of our congress men about how the battles were won and lost by American troops, has wise ly consulted our military experts and that these experts are up to date in their knowledge
 EXPERIENCE IN CIVIL WAR "They do not believe that plans devised by our military experts for an army during war that is upon us, plans approved by President Wilson, can be improved upon by debates in Congress. The COnfed- crate veteran knows that during war. our regularly drilled troops, when in the enemy's cOun- try, always swept away home guards like chaff before the wind. and the experience of the federal troops with home guards was always precisely the same.
 "EXperience that sank into them and became knowledge of war has made, venture to say, 99 per cent of Confederate
 and Union veterans favor the plans Presi- dent Wilson is advocating. They know what drill and discipline can make of the average American soldier Some men. or course, III every whether volunteer or what not, prove to be towards in battle. but these are very few. The presumption is that 99 per cent of the American freemen, uni versal service once adopted, will make when properly trained first-class sol diers Every veteran of our war knows that. But it seems that many modern congressman cannot learn by observation.
 
 EXPERIENCE OF ENGLAND elf two and Il half years of dis astrOus experience by great tion like England cnn prove any thing, then England, since this great war began, has demonstrated that the volunteer system cannot be relied upon. England has poured out the blood of her bravest by thousands md tens of thousands, but there Is not m opponent of President Wilson's plan who will dare to say that England could not have waged far effective war if two years and half since she had adopted universal service. "The example of a single country. Switzerland. demonstrates that the most effective method of preserving the peace is universal service. On the flank of the two belligerent ar mics that now strike away from her borders to the North sea. she holds 2