Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-01
Army and Navy News

Ill the militia tnat served IN lHe pres
ent emergency as men drafted into
the federal service were by that fact
separated from the guard; and very
few. if any, have renewed their for
mer relations with the old state or
CARNATIONS.
Under the national defense act the
President has authority to draft into
the federal service the organized
National Guard; but it's number is
now so small that. if the administra-
ton should adopt the policy of draft
ing the militia in body. they would
add but slightly to the total number
required to make up the army for the
After the experience of the National
Guard on the Mexican border in 1916
1917 the wisdom of drafting the
guard would be a matter so question
able that no troops at all might be
available from the guard.
1t is understood that the bill to be
offered by the War Department for
the consideration of the present Con-
gress will provide for Regular Army
of 100000 or more men, although it is
but proper to state that there is not
believed to he any relation between
the proposed number and the estf-
mated number of men required for
the policing of the outlaw nation. If
such bill becomes a law-and there
is no prospect that such will be the
case-there is small reason to believe
that, with war on hand with no call
on patriotism in it, the Army could be
recruited to it's required strength by
any ordinary methods of recruiting.
So there is problem for the
makers and the advisers Of the
makers of armies and policies to take
into careful consideration.
x K X 4
When Secretary Daniels stated be-
fore the House committee on naval
affairs that the
Secretary Daniels United States
and Peace League. press its faith
in the covenant of the league of
nations by holding up the COM
pletion of the second half of the
Nays six years building pro-
gram he was treading on extremely
delicate ground. 1t was impossible
for all his hearers to forget that a
few short months ago he earnestly
was advocating the biggest and most
powerful navy in the world. where
he now, after personal touch with the
President. is making a back track.
It is most unfortunate for a man so
sincere as the Secretary of the Navy
to have been forced into the position
which, despite all explanations. lead
to the inevitable conclusion that the
position Of the few short months ago
was one of expediency only. and not
seriously intended to be carried out.
His present recommendation to aban-
don the additional term of the build
ing program means little one way or
the other. The ship construction re-
sources of the country are not SUI
ficiently important to do anything
more at the present time than to con-
tinue work upon the interrupted
three-year program; and nothing will
be gained or lost if Congress fails to
act upon this larger program at the
present session.
will have made its estimate Of the
value of the league Of nations as a
substitute for a Navy as a means of
national defense. If the reports be
true that the President has under
taken to indorse an agreement with
event of German aggression upon
France the United States will join the
defense, that fact may be taken as
evidence that the practical statesmen
Of the day will support the league;
but will not neglect to support it with
a second line of defense constituted
Of good armies and navies. Hence,
as far as the Navy is concerned: the
future may hold something startling
in store for it; but no one can foretell
what.
Despite the shortage Of personnel
of the Navy and the lack of certain
types of vessels-such as scouts and
others-the Navy has proved it's ef-
ffciency in time Of need. Any action
which will tend to limit the efficiency
Is a dangerous experiment.. even as a
means of asserting faith in an untried
league to which not all nations are
parties.
However. the proposition to make
the American Navy the greatest on
earth was never taken very seriously
by those acquainted with the needs
Of a Navy; and now that the cause
Of it is over, there is no longer reason
for keeping up the show of its neces-
sity. There isIa further advantage in
the Secretary's change of base to be
the chairman Of the present commit
tee was so hostile to the idea Of the
completion of the program that there
is little chance that any such plan
could be successful before the present
House of Congress.
badly mixed up through the failure
of the administration to advance any
policy whatever that perhaps the
natural. if not the wisest course, is
one of present indecision.
X X X
Rear Admiral Robert M. Kennedy
Of the Naval Medical Corps on his re-
turn from a
Hospital Inspections medical in :
n. spectiop Of the
EoA EAoAn Nv" naval stations
of the sixth, seventh and eighth depart
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