New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-20
The Anti-Conscription Cabal


chagrncd al the apparent success of the
cabal in the House Military Affairs Com
mittcc 20 defeat the Administrations
plans for army reorganization. He can
not understand why a committee supposed
"a have some knowledge Of military needs
and some interest in military efficiency
should deliberately challenge the iudg-
mcnt Of the General staff Of the army and
,r all other military experts.
The average citizen forgets, however.
tine record and characteristics Of this COM
mittcc. II was for years a body which
merely registered the anti-preparedness,
anti-cficieucy theories Of James Hay, long
.ts chairman and manipulation. The virus
of Mr.. Hays hostility to the scientific SOL
der. 10 the General staff and It's campaign
for army reorganization on a modern basis,
md to any and all projects which would
help 10 create "A real national defence, has
thoroughly pcrmeated the committee
which ne unfortunately dominated.
Mr.. Hay maintained for years a feud
against the General Staff and all its works.
lie sought time and again to restrict its
power and discipline its members. He
never failed to reject its recommends
tions. A year ago he contemptuously
thrust aside the plans of the War College
Department Of the General Staff for an
increase Of the regular army and Secre-
tarv Garrison's plans for the creation of
volunteer army to be known as the Cont
nontals lie drove Mr.. Garrison out Of
the Cabinet. lie wrote the humbug Hay
law. amalgamating the National Guard
with the regulars as a first line of de
fence, and after a clash with the more
progressive Senate Military Affairs Com
mittce compelled the latter body TO accept
it in conference.
The House Military Affairs Committee
under Mr.. Hay was the stronghold in Con-
cress of military mossbackism and reac-
Uon. II has changed its character but lit
ne since Mr.. Hays retirement TO the Fed
,ral bench. Mr. Dent, the new chairman,
is loyal Hayte. So are, practically, all
n thc other Democratic members Of the com
y mittec. OF the Republican minority, Mr..
Anthony, Of Kansas. was one of Mr.. Hays
most useful heutenants. Two other Re
publican members, Mr.. Hull, Of Iowa, and
Mr.. Davidson, Of Wisconsin (the latter
just appointed by the Republican Commit
tee on Committecs), are pacifsts or semi
pacifsts. Both voted two weeks ago
against declaring the existence of a state
of war with Germany
Only one Southern member Of the com
mittee supported the Administrations Sc
lcctiye conscription plan. The other six
want TO force the government to lean again
on the broken crutch Of voluntaryism. Yet
their reason for clinging TO the volunteer
system is not at all a military one. Not
lew Southern Representatives are anx-
ious to prevent the CONSUMPTION of negroes
in large numbers. The government has
never intended TO conscript the Souths
agricultural laborers, and the committees
provision expressly exempting them is
superfluous. Only those Of the South's
city negroes who are not employed in nee
ossary industries will bc subject to draft
ing. and 70 defeat conscription-the only
scientific, equitable and democratic method
of raising armies merely to exclude a
small negro element in the South from
military service is sacrificing a great ma
tional end 20 petty considerations Of local
politics. Such is the House committee
which is planning to hamString the con
scription bill. In it the elements to which
making war as it should be made is sec
ondary consideration have disproportion-
ate representation. But even at that Mr..
Hay was able 10 get through the fraudu-
lent army reorganization measure Of 1916
only because the Administration was then
behind him. With a little aid from the
White House, the liberalization Of the
National Guard as a first line fighting
force could have been prevented. The
present committee ought 10 be aware of
this fact. Yet IN spite Of the Admnistra-
tons active support now Of a scientific
and progressive army programme, the
committee is still displaying its loyalty TO
Htas 10y az anu VI iebul ANillSlls II IhA
only wants TO substitute volunteering for
selectiye conscription. but it has amended
The Administration bill so as TO allow vol
unteers 10 select their own company Off
GERS. This option would perpetuste the
most vicious and demoralizing feature Of
voluntary service. II company officers are
to be elected by volunteer organizations,
The time and trouble given 20 creating an
officers reserve corps, composed Of men
who have mastered the military rudiments,
will be almost entirely wasted. There will
he no room in the volunteer army for re-
serve officers below the grade Of major.
The committee has done its worst. II
has demonstrated once more its rcactionary
beliefs. II has run true TO form in block