Part 18 (1/2)

I had often discussed the itation for preparedness fro in part as follows:

DEAR GOVERNOR:

In my opinion, there is left to the Republican party but two available issues for the can of 1916,--the tariff and the question of national defense Hoe are to ht thoroughly to consider and discuss in the co months

As to National Defense: In this raredients that will call forth the hearty support of, first, the whole Cabinet (and particularly the Secretary of War); second, the leaders of the party in the Senate and House; third, the rank and file of Democrats in both Houses; fourth, the Arreat body of the Araree On the eve of the can of 1916, your attitude and accomplishment in this matter will be accepted by the country as the final test of your leadershi+p and will be of incalculable psychological i out of this programme we cannot afford to hesitate or to blunder, because as election day approaches trivial erated by the opposition, to the hurt and injury of our party and your prestige as leader

TUMULTY

THE PRESIDENT, Cornish, New Hampshi+re

MY DEAR GOVERNOR:

I cannot impress upon you too forcibly the importance of an appeal to the country at this time on the question of preparedness No matter what the character of the infor, I have it from all sources that there is no enthusiasm on the ”hill” for preparedness, and that the country itself is indifferent because of its apparent inability to grasp the inificance of this question This indifference arises out of two things: first, the attitude of the pacifists whose feelings have been nurtured by the preachings of Mr Bryan; second, the attitude of those in the country who believe in preparedness and who are frightened because of the big talk of Roosevelt and others on their plan for military conscription

There is no doubt how the body of the American people feel on this question of preparedness You can, therefore, with reater force and earnestness I am afraid if you delay in this matter, it will be too late to act, because our enemies are already busy and active

If so should arise in international affairs or in Mexico within the next feeeks and announcement came then that you were to make an appeal to the country, it would appear as an anti- climax and an atteical moment to make your plea for national defense and incidentally to discuss Mexico and our foreign relations In other words, you must ask the country to accept your leadershi+p or the leadershi+p of others who can't lead Your voice is the only responsible voice in America that can speak with certainty, authority, and calmness as to the need for preparedness There is no doubt of the will of a large majority of our people, but it lacks articulate expression I am sure they will not fail to respond

TUMULTY

Upon conferring with the President in the matter of preparedness, I found that he had been slowly and patiently revolving the wholethe advisability of taking a directthe situation and was only awaiting the psychological moment to strike

On January 27, 1916, the President co the leadershi+p of the movement for preparedness that had been started by his opponents, and called the attention of the country to the critical world situation and to the necessity that America ”put her house in order” In St Louis he declared that Areatest navy in the world It was noticeable in his speeches that he never employed the term ”universal military service” and that he was careful to explain that there was to be no militarism in the country

When the President returned from his preparedness tour, he found hi views as to method; on the one hand, Representative Hay of the Military Affairs Committee, advocated the use of the National Guard as the new army; on the other hand, Secretary Garrison advocated an increase of the Regular Army to 142,000 men and a new ”continental army” of 400,000 men, with reserves of state militia It was the recurrent conflict between the Arress, between the ress' fear of ”militarism”

The Garrison plan met with decided opposition in the House, and upon the President's refusal to lend support to his Secretary of War in the prograned

Immediately all the ene Secretary and proclaimed him a very much abused official The letter which the President addressed to Secretary Garrison is as follows:

THE WHITE HOUSE, WAshi+NGTON

January 17, 1916

MY DEAR MR SECRETARY:

I aed to you for your letters of January twelfth and January fourteenth They ard to adequate measures of preparation for national defence sharply clear I am sure that I already understood just what your vieere, but I a way You believe, as I do, that the chief thing necessary is, that we should have a trained citizen reserve and that the training, organization and control of that reserve should be under immediate federal direction

But apparently I have not succeeded in h I feel sure that I have made it perfectly clear to Mr Hay It is that I a the nation with such a reserve and a to discuss alternative proposals

Any other position on my part would indicate an attitude towards the Committee on Military Affairs of the House of Representatives which I should in no circumstances feel at liberty to assume It would never be proper or possible for me to say to any committee of the House of Representatives that so far as islation was concerned they would have to take my plan or none

I do not share your opinion that thewith norant of them or of the military necessities of the nation On the contrary, I have found theent appreciation of the grave responsibilities iues are ready to act with a full sense of all that is involved in this great matter both for the country and for the national parties which they represent