New Britain herald., 1918-05-11
The Army.


 raising of an army to win the war. has encountered opposition in both houses and in the press outside the confines of cuck oodom. Our obiec- tions to this sinister scheme are in substance endorsed today by so loyal a supporter of the Administration as the New York Times. which predicts that the unconstitutional authoriza- tion requested by the Secretary of War in the name of the President hardly find favor with Congress" and adds:
 The whole subject will be threshe ed out by Congress, the sooner the bet ter. It would be well to err on the side of large numbers, but they should be definite The effect on Ger many of the action by Congress to call men to the colors until five mill lions are under arms for service in France. with no delays in equipm ent and training to be tolerated. would be far more impressive than a direction in blank form to the president to raise as large an army as he deems neces- sa.ry to insure victory.
 More impressive in it's effect on Germany not only. but what is more to the point, more immediate in it's effect upon the raising of an army. Figures imply limits was the ten der objection offered by Secretary Baker, when he was asked why he had not specified in his estimates the size of the army he hoped to raise, They also imply study, intelligence and sincerity. They can be used to fix not only the maximum but the minimum to supply a. spur as well as
 
 izes all this better than MT. Baker. Witness the espousal today of his pro- posal by his faithful defender the Springfield Repu ublican, which says:
 That there is a strong case for this plan cannot be, denied, especially in the light of the fact that the War even impeded in the swiftness and smoothness of it's administrative work, if law placed upon it the duty of expanding the army in an exces- sively brief time up to such a tre- mendous figure as five million or any precise figure of great magnitude.
 This "lets the cat out of the bag, and re-enforces the constitutional ar suments against the abdication of Congress, which the approval of the Baker plan would involve.
 The warning of ia wasted year is all against turning the Congress into the Reichstag and turning over to the President the power lodged with Congress, to decide upon the recom- m endation of the paciflst who is his Secretary of War and his closest ad wiser the size of the army to be raised to wn the war. Blanket authority was given Secretary Baker to build as many airplanes as possible, and the scandal and failure that have been the chief reward of that grant to date strengthen the argument against the repetition of that blunder in respect of calling men to the colors. Power was given the President, on April 6, 1917. to mobilize the Regular Army and the National Guard, but upon tho recommendation of his Secretary of War the National Guard was not called out until midsummer and snow flew before the mobilization of the Regular Army began.
 Not lack of power, but lack Of Will ingness or capacity to exercise the power already delegated to 1t, has been the weakness of the executive branch of the Government in its con- duct of the war Many simple mind honest posal was first advanced that Secre- tary Baker was afraid the Congress would not be disposed to authorize as large an army as he wished to raise. 4 poll of Congress will show, we be- lieve. that Congress is willing to au- thorize the calling out of double the number of troops that Secretary Bak- CT will be willing to specify. He has even been unwilling to authorize the training of an adequate number ct officers, and for the delays in the ar for the fourth series of officers training camps his reluctance to sanction we'll considered plans 'S solely responsible. It will not haSten victory to obiterate Congress In this matter and impose upon the should CTS of Sec. Baker responsibility which only a Ludendorn carries to- day He is not LudendorT, the Pres- ident is not the German Emperor the Congress is not the Roichstas, the United States is not Germany.
 Let us look these facts in the face and act in their light. Let Congress authorize at once the raising of an army of five million men. authorize the money and authorize approprla- tions adequate to cover the cost, ana let the President and the Secretary or War do their best to raise, train arm, equip and transport to France that army as soon possible. They can count upon the support of Congress, and Congress can count upon the SUD- port of the country. Any additional waste of time must not be condoned by Congress or the country.