The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-01-26

UHUN Ill UnIIIUO
OF our MILITIA
Washington, Jan. 26.-I1is voice
showing indignation, President VIII
son sharply resented yesterday what
he characterized as "offhand condem-
nation Of the present National Guaro
system of the country, embodied In
memorial presented to him at the
White House by a delegation from the
Maryland League for National De-
Tense. The memorial was signed py
some Of the leading men Of Baltimore.
It asked the President to recon-
mend to Congress the enactment OF q
law providing for universal national
compulsory military training ana ser
vice. It also asked him to recommend
in the meantime the enactment OF q
law to authorize the proper author1-
eies to draft into the ranks of the
regular army a sufficient number OF
men to police the Mexican border.
The memorial said the United States
was in actual present danger Of be-
u ing involved in the European war;"
that Secretary Lansing had given
warning that we are drifting toward
the verge Of war" and that we 'have
practically no army at this time avail
! able for our defense in case we are
attacked by any of the armed gov
/. ernments Of the world It condemned
!, the resort to the use Of the militia for
the defenese OF the Mexican border
by asserting that ''such a system is
disgrace to civilized people"
Major Randolph Barton, spokesman
/ OF the delegation. read the memorial,
and then DIR. Hugh Hampton Young
sof Johns Hopkins University read
i statement on behalf Of Drs. Welsh,
Finney. and other members OF the
group OF Johns Hopkins medical sci
! entists, urging compulsory military
training to improve the health OF the
i young men Of the country.
{ President Wilson listened courteous
] " and patiently to the reading OF the
/ resolutions and then surprised his
1 visitors by the vigor Of his dissent.
! He objected to the manner in which
!; the memorial attacked the National
i Guard system of the country and the
I effects Of the use OF the militiamen
along the Mexican border.
The Presidents Reply.
''Gentlemen," he said, 81 do not need
: TO prove to you or anybody my deep
/ interest in this subject. will frankly
( say to you would have been more
/ impressed by this memorial II 1t had
! been expressed in more restrained
! language. From some OF the unQuali-
i .led statements In this paper I must
] frankly dissent. think 1t due to my
]; colleagues on the hill (the CapitoD to
/, say so at this offhand condemnation
| OF the system which they adopted af-
j ter long debate upon the urgency OF
many OF the leading citizens OF the
! country; it is the least that can do.
/ You do not commend a cause which
| deserves the most serious considera-
! tion by presenting it as you have pre-
scented It.
These things impress me the more
after what we have heard from the
! medical socitiese. Unquestionably4
physical training is needed and will
accomplish great deal. but it can
be had without compulsory military
service. and compulsory military SER
vice does not meet the difficulties
which you havs alluded to. Any brief
service In the army Of the United
!. States ,withdraws men from civil pur-
suits just as much as the recent SER
vice on the border does. No service
/ except standing army with profess
stonal soldiers prevents that occa-
sional and frequent withdrawal of
men from civil pursuits. That may
be Inevitable. but what you are pro-
posing does not meet the difficulty
which you condemn. These things
are Of the utmost intrfcacy and diff
Guilty and are not to be settled ex
cathedra. And yet, Notwithstanding
the fact that think you have gone
too far, will say to you that, of
course, this will have my most SER
ious consideration. It is receiving
consideration with the country and
we in Washington, Of course, share
and feel the great tides of opinion in
the United States. I am sure that,
speaking, If I may speak for the
members OF the House of Representa-
tives and the Senate. we are all de-
sirous OF doing the wise thing for the
defense of the country. and it must
and will be done, but we must not
close debate by having too dogmatic
an opinion as to method.
II know that you will understand
the spirit In which / make that pro-
test and this statement"
The memorial was signed by such
prominent Baltimoreans as Henry
Stockbridge, Judge Of the Court Of
Appeals OF Maryland; Alexander
Brown. banker; William l.. Mar
bury, leading attorney; Robert Gar
rett, w. Cabell Bruce, David J.
Lewis, William Ingle, banker; Phil
lips Lee Goldsborough, former gov
ernor Of Marland; John B. Ramsey,
and others.
Text OF the Memorial.
The text of the memorial to which
the President took exception is as
follows:
1.-THE Maryland League for National
Defense, representing, as we believe,
the views and feelings Of an over
whelming majority OF the people OF
our state, begs to urge upon your at
tention a matter of vital Importance
to our country at this time.
"It has become manifest that not
withdrawing, and 1t may be because
of the insistent and persistent effort of
our government to maintain strict
neutrality. the United States is in ac-
tual present danger Of becoming in
vclved in the European war. Our
Secretary Of State. in a very recent