The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-08-09
National Guard Association
of the United States to
Organize Opposition
IS NOT opp sED TO =
/ UNIVERSAL SERVICE
Is Drawing a Bill to Provide It In Con-
junction With the National Guard
Statement by Berry, President of the
Conference,

NEW YORK, Aug. 9.@The executive, |
legislative and law committees of the Ma
tional Guard Association Of the United
States, after being in session since last
Monday, adjourned, subject to the call of
the executive chairman, yesterday The
main result of the conference was the
unanimous decision of the guardsmen to
Tight with all the means in their power,
the enactment into law OF the Chamber
lain-kahn Universal Service Military bill,
which they denounced at Tuesdays con-
terence as the Swan song of the general
staff
AdIutant General Charles w. Berry of
this state, who presided, issued state
ment following the adjournment, in which
he SAID that the association will organize
Tor the fight on the bill. Headquarters
VIII be established in this city and branch
es IN every state The association is
now drafting military program of its
own which win be urged as substitute
Tor the Chamberlain-kah BILL This pro.
gram will be made public within the next
few days
General Berry denied that the assoeia.
ton Is IN any way opposed to universal
| service. As a matter of fact. he said. the
ASSOCIATION is intellectually for the UNI
versal principle, but it insists that the
| principle shall be developed in conjnnc-
tion with the national guard of the coun-
| try.
| Adjutant General Berry's statement fol-
lows, in part:
! 1t must be emphasized that the Cham.
berlain-kahn bill conscripts our citizens
for service IN he regular army in time
OF peace, and that the conference is alb
selutely opposed to such CONSUMPTION.
! The policy OF the National Guard asso-
cation as 30 universal service is set forth
IN the resolution adopted at the conven-
t.tion held last May in St Louis. which
resolution reads: Resolved. That uni
versal military training is a necessary step
fteward adequate national Preparedness
and for the proper development of the elf.
zen ssoidlery OF the nation; and we affirm
! that 1t. can best he developed in coninnc-
ton with the national guard
lit is important at the outset for the
people to understand that the National
Guard association has no quarrel with
the personnel OF the army. hut that il
/. demands that the system which has beer
: the outgrowth of the military bureaucrac,
OF Washington, which has dwarfed officer.
and made them unwilling tools of self
Iaerpetuatlng body, must be abolished ane
its supporters driven ont of power.
= The conference had not entirely con
eluded its discussion of the Chamberlain
:. Aahn bill when its attention was direct
I. ed to the so-ealled Baker bill. introduce,
l.
by Senator Nadsworth upon request. AT
. ter consideration OF all the newspaper re
ports obtalnable. resolutions were adopt
: ed by the conferees asking reprcsentive
II OF congress to postpone the passage o
the Baker bill, If its provisions were cor
rectly quoted by the press. and the OF
{ ganlzatlon committee will give out ful
u statement as to this bill within fey
!. days.
When the national defense act wa
! enacted it contemplated an existing OF
ganization, which organization, under tn
r. Interpretation of the act by the Judge ac
yocate generals department of the army
n was wiped out of existence by being draf,
* ed into federal service The national d,
tense act contains no practical provision
for the reorganization OF the nations
guard, and so that the national guard ma
exist while numerous service bills are b,
a ing discussed and considered number {
:. immediate amendments will be necessar,
e Even more important than the amenc
:. ments is the question of obtaining reason
! able "o-operation from the militia burea
- at Washington, which is differed excl
= sively by regular army officers who al
: apparently without experience with,
understanding of, the national guard pro
lens and whose ideas are based solely u
e- ON the theory of the general staff as
d. what is necessary under war time cond