Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-02-13
WILSON letter ON
TRAINING DISCUSSED
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
BIZ DAVID LAWRENCE


WASHINGTON, Feb. 10.-Team
work is an essential in party govern
nacnt and President Wilson's defeat
at the hands of the caucus of Demo
Gratis who refused to take his advice
about universal military training is
an excellent example of the loose
connection or defective line of com
murication between the White
House and capitol hill-a curcum-
stance that has, on more than one
occasion, threatened to be trouble
some but has never come to the sur
face SO clearly as in the vote Of 107
to 38 against a White House request
The president has been secluded SO
much that he isn't aware of what is
going on inside his own party. There
was no real necessity for a caucus
of Democrats to declare against uni
VersaI military training. The Re
publican leadership of Representa-
tive Mondell already had expressed
unalterable opposition to the scheme
VA TIC SlOl1Iiu OE GAp0HSG. moreover,
there was no necessity for a letter
from the White House to the Demo-
Gratis advising them on the matter,
for once the caucus was called-and
the plan to hold it has been under
way for a week. The president might
have discovered on consulting any
well-informed member of the Demo
cratic party in the house that the
ny -, =
universal military service or train
ing that has any compulsory feature
in it.
But Mr.. Wilson, without finding
out the situation in the house, sent
letter not merely advising that the
Democrats bide their time and and
wait for the San Francisco conven-
ton to determine what shall be the
issue, of the Democratic party in the
campaign but giving at the same
time an Endorsement of the universal
military training plan. Had he failed
to commit himself and merely urged
postponement, the blow that came
in the vote of 1O7 to SO would have
been merely difference of opinion
as to the proper time to make a dec
lara ton on the subjec1 and not dis
tinct objection to the principle of
military training approved by the
president and Secretary Baker and
the general staff OF the army.
General Staff Unpopular
1t is about time that the executive
BRANCH Of the government discover
ed that, unmerited as the opinion
may be, the general staff is hardly
popular on Capitol Hill. Memories
OF the brusque trea tment received by
members of the house and senate
during the war when they used to
SIT cooling their heels outside the
offices of lieutenants. captains, colo
neIs and generals, are only too fresh
In the minds of our legislators, who
never forget such things anyway.
But. fundamentally, the Democratic
members of the house who are op-
posed to military training hail from
the west and south. AS for the lat
ter section, members say their con
Stltuents are absolutely opposed to
military training, largely because of
fear that to arm the negro youth
or the country three months of the
year might make it difficult to ham
die said youth the other nine months,
southern members always are SEN
sltlVe about any piece Of legislation
that touches the race question and
they are having too many postwar
troubles of the race question any
way to experiment with universal
military training in time of peace.
AS for the west, the objection
seems to be that farm labor is scarce
enough as it is. and that the dis
location to agriculture caused by the
wartime CONSUMPTION is too recent
TO permit of any peace-time scheme
that is even remotely analogous to
the selectiTe draft. There are west
eEn members, OF course, VINO argus
In favor of military training on the
GROUND that 1T helps the health of the
nations youth and gives US a pre-
paredness for war which we did not
nave When the European war came
But the trend seems to be to return
10 the same state Of suspicion about
a large military establishment now
as the west had when President Will
son campaigned for Secretary Garri-
sons continental army and reserve
system. Members from the west saw
thelr constituents are NOT exercised
over the possibility of another big
var 1or Inc next ten years at least.
because the world is in a state of
sCoHoIllc and financial exhaustion.
Questions Not Disposed Of
1he question is by no means dis
posed OF. The Republican party is
In control of both branches of the
government and soon must declare
itself. The revolt of the Republican
leaders Of the house against the SEN
ate leaders on this issue is due to
the same line of reasoning which
western Democrats have advanced.
Even with the support of the Amer
lean Legion, it is doubtful whether
the plan would go through as Re
pQblicans and Democrats fear the
women voters are opposed to the
scheme that farmers don't want i'll
and that organized labor is far from
enthusiastic about the creation Of a
large federal force that might upon
occasion be used for strike duty.
President Wilson is unquestionably
disappointed that his party didn't
follow him.
/