New Britain herald., 1917-03-28
lLITlA FAILURE l AS FEDERAL ASSET
bstsm, Not Men, to Blame, Says s Brig. Gen.. Mann.

s3 New York. March 2S.--Reasor,s for Ihe army general staf's conclusion
 hst the National Guard system ",s 1pt worth while for federal purposes" 4ere outlined by Brigadier GeneroI
 William A. Mann. chief of the WAT military bureau. in an
 diess yesterday before the conven- tlQn here of tlo National Guard asyo- |c1Ation.
 {s1leclaring that the border mobilixa-
 lOn had deinc nstrated at once the eff
 clcncy and patriotism of the officers
 ad nen ns tie guard and the inef1l- elAcx and isadoquacy of the guard
 etem. General Mann advocated uni-
 srsal military service .because the
 nly safe system for us now Is the
 1ronxes. and best that we can get-.-'
 nc shat puts under the immediate
 nd unenaba-rassed control of the fed-
 Eal government all sof the resources
 Pecliic:lliy to the question .'Is the Ma
 Dnnl Guard worth preserving '" Gen.
 nl Mann said:
 Fl When oae c8nsiders that the mem
 tr6 of the National Guard have been ! be only citizens who havc made an 4ganized effort to provide tho gov
 nment with military force for use :. an emergency to back up tire small
 Euiar army, the question can have &nt ono answer as far as the person.
 Is concerned. They should havo
 praise. and the military bureau - 1one on record n opposing legis- eNxc efforte to abolish the Natiorai
 V N.s ~
 etter Is nctus..Iy substituted.
 The general staff, In recently pro- Ruesng plan for universal trnining, h.s es1de0vorod to provide a place for: Ill of the National Guard whc doslrc 3Q continue their laudabls efforts to &erve tho nation in building un dc- Pcndahic force.
 Failure for Federal Purposes. 's1%s to the ..s.cm itself being worth nrcservirg. l will answer by saying that 1t may be worth while for state 8nfposes but not for federal. M Tho general sc!d that in mohtlixing
 IAo guard for border duty the military
 uTeau had erdeavored to follow out
 IT lnw In every particular and to 1la.ke out of the guard system an Qcient military force if that, were 10manly possible. \ creditAb1e show TT had been made, despitG ths fact lhAt congress was changing the law luring the critical period saAd that i've were 'ee1n caught swapping horses as We crossed the etreAm.''
 The material benefits of the mos bilixation and the training are peyond valuation the general continued, s'The National Guard whtch has been 10 the border has received more actual benefit than could have beSn gotten in many years of training under normal National Guard cons aitions, and those mon are today q greater military asset as a reserve to the regular army than was furnished oy the entire war with Spain.
 < "As the troops were released from the border the militia bureau pro- pounded Q list of questions for them 10 answer after they had been home one month, and 1t is expected to es- tablieh 2 compendium of the reports 1pceived. It Is curious to observe that n those reports received up to March s3e. in spite of an avoidance of asking or bidding for any expectation of opin- ion as to compulsory service, either directly or indirectly. some thirty seven per cent. of those replying took occasion to declare themselves in favor of 1t. And there you have food for thought"
 Referring to the assignment of more than thirty guard regiments for policing private industrial plants. Gen. Mann pointed out that in each case the number of troops summoned from . state was in direct relation to the industries In that state needing pro- tection. He said the president appar- entity had reached the conclusion that the federal government was responsi- lbIe. for .the situation which creates gehe danger of internal disorders. ! ~aAAaMa vs