Show VETOES ARMY ARY ILL BILL WILSON IS AGAINST i IMMUNITY FROM DISCIPLINE CLAUSE Representative Hay Who Forced Objectionable Objectionable Objectionable Ob Ob- Ob- Ob Features Into Measure Eliminates Them and Reintroduces Legislation in the House WASHINGTON Aug President 18 President Wilson today vetoed vetoe the army appropriation bill bilt because of exemptions from discipline for retired officers forced into it by the house conferees led by Representative Hay over the opposition of the war department A Anew Anew new clew bill will be necessary and may delay adjournment of congress Representative Hay said he would reintroduce the bill in the house immediately with the features to which the tike president objected eliminated Mr Hay followed his his his' announcement by reintroducing g the bill minus not only the section to which the pre president ident objected but with the whole revision of the articles articles' of war eliminated This threatened to complicate the situation President Wilsons Wilson's veto message follows To the House douse ol of r Representatives I have carefully considered cred the bill I entitled An Act Making Appropriations for the Support of or the Army for forthe forthe forthe the Fiscal Year Ending June 30 1917 and now take the liberty of returning it with my objections to its ap ap- ap- ap 1 The bill constitutes an essential part of the legislation providing for forthe forthe forthe the military establishment of ot the country country coun coun- try a and d wisely and generously provides provides provides pro pro- vides for the reorganization of ot the agencies of our national defense and it is with genuine reluctance that I delay its becoming law by suggesting the elimination of one of th the provisions provisions provisions pro pro- I visions visions which has been embodied in inthe inthe the very necessary and Important revision revision revision re re- re- re vision of the arti articles es of war which i has been added to it I Articles Archaic I The existing articles of war are undoubtedly archaic They have not I undergone comprehensive revision for more than years ears They do not I always furnish the means of meeting I promptly and directly the needs of discipline dis dis- discipline under modern conditions and diS 1 many contingencies now frequently arise in the government of the military military mili mili- tary forces which were not contemplated contemplated I plated when the present code was wasI formulated The relations of the government government government gov gov- I of the United States have I greatly broadened within the hundred years We now v have Insl insular ar possessions possessions possessions posses posses- and national interests far away from our continental shores Both the I practice e of arms and the theory of I discipline have undergone many modern mod mod- modern 1 ern enl changes and a manifest need for I such a revision of these articles as is here hero presented has long existed I therefore the more keenly regret to find in the proposed revision of the articles articles of war a provision to which I cannot give my approval Provisions of Act The original act establishing th the th retired list of ot the army referred to the personnel personnel- therein included as onlY partially retired and provided that a a. retired o officer should be entitled to wear WOOl the uniform of ot his grade should be borne on the army register and should be subject to the rules and articles articles articles arti arti- cles of or war Mar and to trial by general for tor kny any breach of ot thes these articles By the act of or July 24 1876 1816 officers of or the army on the retired list were specifically declared to constitute constitute tute tut a part of or the regular army arm a 1 provision which 1 Is found repeated in subsequent acts affecting the organization organization of the army and other statutes statute enacted during this period made re retired retired retired re- re tired officers officers officers-of of the army arm available for tor certain classes class s of ot active duty in time ot of peace with their consent and in time of ot war val without their consent Bv By By a athe the recently enacted national defense act the authority of or the president over retired officers has been further extended ex extended extended ex- ex tended so 80 as to make them subject to his call In time of ot war for any kind of duty without an any restriction whatever Courts and attorney generals have in ina a long lone line Une ot of decisions held that officers officers oW- oW cers of ot the army on the retired list hold bold public office Retired Officers Officers' Status It thus appears that both the legislative legislative legis legis- and Judicial branches have drawn a sharp distinction in status be between between be- be tween retired l officers who are regarded regard regard- ed and governed at all times as an effective ef effective er- er reserve of skilled and experienced experienced experienced officers and a potential source of military strength and not mere pensioners pensioners pensioners pen pen- from whom no further military ry service is expected Officers on the tha retired list of the army are officers of ot the army members of the military and men distinguished by their long service service ser ser- vice and as such uch examples of ot discipline discipline discipline pline to the officers and men in the active arm army Moreover they wear the tha uniform of or the arm array army their education and services hold them out ut as persons especially qualified in military matters Continued on pa page go A 9 WILSON IS AGAINST Continued Continued from page 1 1 to represent the spirit of the tho military establishment and they are subject to active duty in time of national emergency emergency emergene emer emer- gency gene by the mere order of the commander commander com corn mander in chief They are therefore members of the army Officers of the United States exemplars of discipline and have in their keeping the good name and the good spirit of ot the entire s- s before the world Occupying Occupying Occupying such a relation their subjection on I to the rules and articles of war and arid to trial by general have al alwa always always al- al wa ways was s been regarded as necessary In order that the retired might not be become become become be- be come a source of tendencies which would weaken the discipline of the ac active active ac- ac tive live land forces and Impair that control con con- over those forces which the constitution constitution con con- vests In the president Purpose Explained The purpose of the articles of war warin warin warIn in times of peace Is to bring about a uniformity In the application of military mill mili tary discipline which will make the entire organization coherent and ef effective effective ef- ef I ef-I and to engender a spirit of co cooperation cooperation cooperation co- co operation and proper subordination to authority which will In the time of war instantly make the entire army a unit In its purpose of self sacrifice and devotion to duty in the national de defense de- de These Thes purposes cannot be ac accomplished accomplished ac- ac If the retired officers still stilla j ac-j a part of the military establishment still relied upon to perform Important duties dirties are excluded upon retirement from the wholesome and unifying ef effect effect ef- ef I of this subjection to a comm common n discipline I 1 am persuaded that Officers upon the retired list would themselves re regard regard regard re- re gard as an invidious and unpalatable discrimination which In effect ex excluded excluded excluded ex- ex them from full membership In Inthe Inthe inthe the profession to which they have de devoted devoted devoted de- de voted their lives and of which by the the laws of their country they are still i members So long as congress sees fit tit to make the retired personnel a part of the army array of the United States the constitutionality of the proposed exemption ex ex- ex- ex eruption emption of such personnel from all liability lia lIa- under the articles of war wm- Is a matter of serious doubt leaving the president as It does without any means sanctioned by statute of exercising exercising exercising exer exer- over the personnel thus exempted exempt exempt- ed the power of command vested in him by the tho constitution Convinced as I am of at the of this provision and of at its baneful effect upon the discipline of ot the army doubting as I do the power of at congress wholly to exempt retired officers from the control of the president while white de declaring declaring de- de claring daring them to be a part of the regular regular regu regu- lar army of the United States I am constrained to return this bill ill without my approval There have been broad intimations that tho Ure revision which proposed to remove retired officers from the jurisdiction jurisdiction jurisdiction juris juris- diction of was in the Interest in interest interest In- In terest of a certain retired officer who was waiting for a time when he would bo be immune from discipline to make a public attack on the army The officer officer officer whose name was mentioned in connection with the report was while white in service very active e in legislative affairs was very close to congressmen framing army bills and until his retirement retirement retirement re re- re- re was reckoned with as a power In legislation affecting the army The presidents president's veto of ot the bill Is one of the developments of at ears years of contest contest contest con con- I test between the army and Chairman Hay The downfall of the continental army scheme and substitution of the national guard reorganization against the recommendation of the army officers officers officers cers Is attributed to him Only the force of President Wilsons Wilson's interference ence put the regular army increase In Inthe Inthe inthe the new reorganization bill through the house in the face of Hay Hays opposition II Recently President Wilson appointed Hay to a judgeship on the court of claims and he now Is serving his last term in congress The war department contends that many features of the army bill were written Into it in the conference and never ne were de debated a d in ho house se or senate I |