New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-11-11
Elimination of Military
Caste and Inefficients
With Pull Urged; Free
dom to Advance Is Sough,
Want SmallRe Force
Delegates Foresee Clashes
on Important Questions
of Policy To Be Decided
staff Correspondence

NtdU Correspondence
MINNEAPOLIS. Nov. 1o.-Military
reforms unprecedented in the history
of the country, so drastic in their
effect that the day of the military
martinez and political officer" is in
danger of passing, have been recon-
mended by the military policy COM
mittee of the American Legion, meet
ing here to-day in the opening session
of its first annual convention,
A system that would enable the
private soldier to attain any rank the
military establishment has to offer
and would preclude the possibility of
because of pull" or for any other
reason was embodied in the resolution
adontc5 unanimously in the committee
meeting here tonight.
A thorough housekeeping of ineff-
cients from our entire military estab-
lishment" was the wording of one sec
ton OF the resolution, and the tenor
of the meeting to-day indicated that
the convention would indorse it to-
morrow.
The resolution framed by Edward
L. Logan, commander Of the Massa-
chusetts State branch of the legion
and head of the states delegation,
reads:
eve have had bitter experience in
the cost of training on the part of
officers of our military establishment.
We, therefore. recommend q thorough
housekeeping of ineficients from our
entire militar7 establishment.
Universal Obligation Favored
eve favor national miIitar system,
based on universal military obligation,
to include relatively small regular
army and a citizen army capable Of
expansion to meet any emergency. pro-
vided that such plans shall also provide
competitive progressive examination
OF all officers of the regular army and
of the citizen force.
ut is the sense of this convention
that such military system be sub
ject to civil authority, and legislation
designed to extend the present mi itary
caste we unqualfiedly condemn"
Logan's ablest ally in forcing the
adoption OF this resolution was Major
F. A.. Warner of Nebraska who served
on the general staff during the war.
Major Warner said he had been told
Nv q 'i"utenant Colonel Gardner and
another lantern jawed colonel" to
son vi report on the national guard
and the reserve officers. He inter
oreted their instructions as an order
70 criticise those organizations and
give them a black e. he said. and
intention
The colonels, according to Major
Warner, frankly told him it was their
intention to have him do that. He
then refused to make the report. When
they asked why and he told them he
vas National Guard officer himself.
they were dumfounded, he said. not
because he refused to oby, but be-
cause National Guard officer had
been permitted to rise to his rank and
10 an assignment to the General Staff
Fighters Rededicate Themselves
Never in history has more pictur-
esque or a more loyal aggregation Of
America young manhood been assem-
ol"' a"h lever nc an organization so
smphatlcally registered its purpose.
The 0s4 delega e. repre- entine m ire
tnan 100000 fighting men of all the
states, reconsecrated themselves to
Cnelr country and rededcated their
ilves to the service of peace. as they
mad dedicated them to the service Of
war, serving notice mistakably that
tnefe is no middle ground where the
question Of loyalty is concerned.
1t was an historic scene when tho
temporary organization sponsored by
The st. Louis caucps last spring was
mfde permanent. Each state delega-
slon had its own songs and yels, and
they cut loose with vim that rocked
the huge auditorium. The band of the
Sunset division played during the pre-
iiminary festivities.
The spirit OF the convention was re-
fected by Dr.. Cyrus Northrup, presi-
dent emeritus of the University of
Minnesota, who in his Invocation
thanked the Almighty for the patri-
otto shirt which moved the fighting
men Of America now to present them
selves in a solid phalanx against those
who would destroy the government
from within just as they had pre-
sented themselves against the foe on
foreign soil"
Urged to Fight Foes Within
Henry D. Lindsey, chairman of the
convention, urged a program which
would place the Legion on record as
sponsoring law and order no matter