New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-28

border service. that the present mill
tary system of the United States is shot
through with inadequacies, and even
with grave injustices. These faulfs
were apparent enough in times OF per-
feet peace.
Faults Became Obvious
"They became obvious when the Mex
lean trouble developed that the defen-
sve strength of America was virtually
confined to 10000 members OF the Ma
tional Guard, who left home and family
TO bear upon their shoulders the full
burden of national honor and national
safety"
Major General Organ limited at
what the answer of the delegates would
be TO the question of universal train
ing.
He was plainly hostile to the Cham
berlain bill, whose adoption ne inferred
would pave the way for the growth OF
a military machine more radical IN
some respects than that of Prussia"
His plea for preparedness was a sort
of glorified National Guard to be called
the National Army of the United
States. A certain amount of field
training would be provided for all
physically qualified males when they
reached the age of nineteen. but train
ing would not be compulsory unless the
required number did not volunteer
willingly.
In addition he proposed complete
severance between the national army
and regular army. including separate
leadership and separate methods Of
training. Such plan, he declared,
would provide an army fashioned on
the lines of the Swiss system and in
keeping with the principles laid down
in the Constitution.
Will Officers Be Moved?
The chief issue in the present gath
ering is whether the delegates, who
are chiefly high officers of the Guard
of the whole country. will be moved
by the wide sentiment for universal
compulsory training or will decide on
some sort of a compromise that VIII
leave the National Guard intact
Among the younger members or the
National Guard is strong sentiment
for universal obligatory service, re-
CARELESS OF its effect upon the present
system. 1t is particularly strong among
the line officers. it is said, who did &C
tive service at the border.
The opposition is the older element
in the National Guard Association,
which backed the Hay bill last year and
opposed the Chamberlain measure as
it does now. The answer of the dee
gates will not be known until the clos-
ing day of the three-day session, when
a committee on resolutions will report
the associations position on universal
training.
Despite the urgent appeals of nearly
all speakers no have addressed the
delegates since the dinner at the uni
versity Club on Monday night, the del
egates themselves have shown no en-
thusiasm for Universal training that
seemed to threaten the National Guard.
Calls L. S. Light Hearted
Major General Organ commented al
length yesterday on what he described
as the failure of our people adequately
TO sense Europe's Armageddon of hu-
man slaughter. grief and destruction.
con every side" he said. 1--WE have
heard the most light-hearted references
to what is going on in the human
abbatoirs abroad. Everywhere people
have shown by their conversation their
complete Ignorance u bHS iSSPNh'iNi'
tiles, the inhumanities and the conse-
quences of wer.
"In spite of the alarming headlines
daily appearing in the public press, in
the face of countless pamphlets sent
out by preparedness and defence
leagues, in spite of the conversion Of
pacifst college presidents into militant
advocates, needless of the ominous
prophecies of the magazine writers, the
general public. facing the probability
of war, has been apparently Indifferent
toward practical preparation
At the evening session there were
addresses by Lieutenant General Nell
son A. Miles, U. S. A. (retired); Major
General Charles NJ. Clement, of Penn
sylvania, apd Blair Lee, of Maryland.
Only about fifty of the preparedness