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Show SAYS U. S. CAN END CONFLICT General Miles Expresses Hope for Energetic Offensive Of-fensive Movement by This Country. NKW VOK'IC, Mnrch 27. Lieutenant l(tnornl XcImmi A. Mile, U. S. A., re-tirnd, re-tirnd, Hpnjikin hero tonight nt the na-lionul na-lionul dr-fVn -f. convention, licit under tho !inii(08 of Mm National Guard Ah-sofiition Ah-sofiition of tho I'riitcd Htatns, u (-sorted Unit if thin i-ouiitry "throws itwlr" n-orfteWi n-orfteWi 'ally ' ' into tho war, in tho event of a declaration, bo believed it would he posnihlft to end tho conflict in twelve months, "if not In six." General Miles said he hoped if the United States were drawn into the war " we, will not act on the defonrjve," hut will pursue an " effective, st rong, ofTeririi ve ennipaign. ' ' "That is the quickeHt and tho surest whv tor bringing about peace, which we all denim, ' ' he deelured. General Miles haid it had heen stated stat-ed that them were no trained men in this country. lie doc In rod, however, there were at least 1,000,000 A mericuns, not including those in the regular army, the national guard and various schools and colleges now, who had had military training. In addition, ho added, there aro nearly .",0O(i(0oii men in America who have' had "all tho drill and training train-ing and discipline and experience that could be given them in the Jtiuropean armies. ' ' Tribute (o Guard. General Miles paid n tributo to the national guard. "Coining as you do," he said, "from every quarter of our great country, this j most wonderful, powerful, mighty re- public, of ours, you represent not only j the stability and character of tho states, ! hut voti also represent, one of the great pi 1 hi re of our republic; and we cherish our institutions, we cherish our system of government, we prize it more than life itself, for our system of government govern-ment and our institutions have produced this wonderful civilization that we now enjoy. ' ' i'jiitetl States Senator Blair Trfe of Maryland also spoke. His subject was ' 'The National Guard and t he Safety of the Kypublic. ' ' Mann Gives Reasons. Reasons for the army staff's conclusion con-clusion that tho national guard system sys-tem ' is not worth while tor federal 1 purposes" were outlined by Brigadier General William A. Mann, chief of the war department's militia bureau, in an address today before the convention here of the Katioual Guard association. Declaring that the border mobilization had demonstrated at once the etheiency and patriotism of the officers and men of tho guard and the inefficiency and inadequacy of tho guard system, General Mann advocated universal military service ser-vice because "the only safe system for us now is the strongest and best that we can get one that puts under tho immediate and unembarrassed control of the federal government all of the resources re-sources of the nation." Addressing himself specifically to the question, "Is the National Guard Worth Preserving?" Preserv-ing?" General Mann said: Praise for Guard. When one considers that the members of the national guard have been the only citizens who have made an organized effort to provide the government with a mili-tarv mili-tarv force, for use in an emergency to back up t lie small regular army, the question can have but. one answer an-swer as far as the personnel is concerned. con-cerned. They should have all praise and the militia bureau has cone on record as opposing legislative legis-lative effort today to abolish the : rational guard as a system until j something better is acUialtv substituted. substi-tuted. J The general staff, in recentlv pro- i posing a plau for universal training, has endeavored to provide a place for all of the national guard who I desire to continue their laudable efforts ef-forts to serve the nation in building build-ing up a dependable military force. Against Dual Control. As to the system itee'f being worth preserving I will answer bv saying that it may be worth while for state purposes, hut net for federal. fed-eral. The dual control of a federal military foice negatives at once its at taining a real efficiency for fed-era' fed-era' military purposes. Major General John O'Kyan, commanding com-manding the national guard "of Xew York, in an address at the afternoon session of tho convention, declared that i with a few amendments the national defense act can be made to provide a svstem of compulsory training and military mili-tary service in the national guard which ' will be comprehensive and effective, but 1 in keeping with the principles of the ! Swiss system, which has been pleaded I lor so earnestlv. General O '.Ryan said: In order to accentuate the na- ! tional character of the force, change j the name of 'the national guard of the United States to national army of the United States. Provide for compulsory training and service by enrolling in each congressional district citizens who have reached the age of 111 rears, who shall be given opportunity to volunteer to six years of service in the national army, the number accepted, ac-cepted, however, to be limited by the total number required of each congressional district. The truth is that the national guard has never had a fair trial, it demonstrated remarkable dependability depend-ability and efficiency on the border based upon the old and inadequate system. Give it a chance under the new system herein proposed and we will have a maximum of efficiency with a minimum of cost and under a system In entire accord with the principles of government laid down by the founders. |
