New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-23
A Flinsy Excuse

Many Congressman are eXcuSing their
hostility to selective CONSUMPTION on the
ground that the General Stats bill limits
too strictly the opportunity TO volunteer
There is little sincerity in that argument
The opponents Of CONSUMPTION are more
concerned about protecting sackers than
they are about preserving the honorable
distinction attaching to voluntary service.
They are not working in the interest OF
those who want to have the satisfaction
Of Offering themselves freely, but in the
interest of those who want to dodge their
obligations TO the state.
The fact is that even if the General
staff bill passes there will be an oppor-
tunity for volunteering on large scale.
There will probably be more places open
for volunteers than there will be volun-
teers 10 fill them. The regular army IS
10 be enlarged at once TO its maximum
strength under the Hay law. On war
basis. with all the increments added at
once which were to be added in five an
nual instalments, the regular army Will
number $4,000. It's strength to-day IS
only a little over 10000. So there will
be an immediate demand for 100000 men
TO fill out the ranks of the regular estao-
lishment, and many thousands more will
be needed TO supply vacancies created by
the transfer TO the new armies Of the
regulars assigned to them as drillmasters
end instructors.
The War Department has recently made
the argument of the Observation-Disclosures
even more absurd than it was originally
by ruling that the state governments may
create at once new National Guard units
and bring their Guard quotas up to full
peace strength. This decision is In &C
cordance with the language Of the Hay
law, which permits any state to make
at once the increases in the strength of its
Guard for which that law provided. By
Il June 3, 1917, the National Guard in each
state was TO consist of 200 enlisted men
for each Senator and Representative IN
Congress. For New York this authorized
minimum would be 5000, our Guard being
proportionately 10 population much larger
than the Guards in most of the other
states. But thereafter an increase Of 80
per cent annually was to be made, until
the Guard represented a strength Of 800
for each Senator and Representative in
Congress-in New York's case an eXpan-
sion TO $4,000. But any state is per-
mitted TO go TO the 800 per Congressman
tasis as soon as it wants to do so.
The strength Of the National Guard in
all the states is to-day about 125,0OO. The
peace strength permitted under the Hay
law is about 1000, counting 100000 for
men and 10000 for officers. There are
places, therefore, in the National Guard
for $4,000 volunteers. If the Guard is
put on a war footing there will be places
for 100000 more. Estimating at $4,000
the number Of Guardsmen transferred as
instructors TO the new conscript armies
565. 900 volunteers could be utilized in the
Guard alone. In the Guard and the regu-
lar establishment together 100000 could
be utilized.
There is no indication that volunteering
will bring in anything like that number
Volunteer returns now are pitifully small
They are almost microscopic. The Hay
law provides for conscrpton as means
Of recruiting the Guard, if volunteering
fails. The General Staff bill provides
Cor CONSUMPTION both for the Guard and for
the regular army in case volunteering
breaks down. In our opinion, conscrip-
ton win be necessary all along the line,
although it may not be resorted to at once
except for the new armies.
The government is giving the volunteer
a chance. IL will accept 100000 youn-
teers, If they offer themselves. The pas
sage Of the General Staff bill will not Of
itself extinguish the voluntary system.
That system will quickly extingush it.
self by showing that it cannot be depended
upon to furnish troops as rapidly and in
such numbers as they are needed under
the conditions Of modern war.