Jasper County Democrat, Volume 18, Number 91, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 February 1916 — WAR SECRETARY GARRISON QUITS WILSON CABINET [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WAR SECRETARY GARRISON QUITS WILSON CABINET

Breokenridge Also Resigns as Assistant Secretary, RESIGNATIONS ARE ACCEPTED Letters in Case Given Out —Executive's Refusal to Insist on Continental Army Plan One Reason for Action. — 1 » " ' Washington, Feb. 11. —Lindley Mj Garrison, secretary of war, and Henry Breokenridge, assistant secretary, tenderod their resignations to President Wilson who Immediately them. Mr. Garrison’s resignation was brought about by the failure of Preßident Wilson to support the continental; MTUy feature of the national prepared008a scheme and because the secret tary of war Is not in sympathy wlthj the Clark amendment to the Philippines bill providing for the relinquishment of American control of tiro islands. Letters Made Public. ' The letter of Mr. Garrison and thOj president’s acceptance of his resigna-* tlon are as follows: “War Department, Washington, Feb, 10, 1916. —My Dear Mr. President—l afn Justin receipt of yours of February

10th in repiy to mine of February 9tbj It is evident that wo hopelessly die-* agree upon what I conceive to be fundamental principles. This makes manifest the impropriety of my long re malnlng your seeming representative with respect to these matters "I hereby tender my resignation as secretary of war, to take effect at convenience. 'Sincerely yours. "LINDLEY M. GARRISON.’) Resignation Is Accepted. “The White House, Washington, Feb. 10, 1916. — My Dear Secretary: I must confess to feeling a very great surprise at your letter of today offering your resignation as secretary of war. There has been no definite action, taken yet in either of the matters to which your letter of yesterday referred. The whole matter is under de-< bate, and all the influences that work; for clarity and judgment ought to bo available at this very time. “Hut since you have felt obliged to take this action, and since it is evident that your feeling in the matter la very great indeed. I feel that I would be only imposing a burden upon you/ should I urge you to retain the secretaryship of war while 1 am endeavoring to find a successor. J ought to relieve you at once and do hereby accept your resignation, because it is so evidently your desire that 1 should doso. I cannot take this important step, however, without expressing to you my very warm appreciation of the distinguished service you have rendered as secretary of war, and I am sure that in expressing this appreciation I am only putting into words the judgment of our fellow citizens far and wide. “With sincere regret at the action, you have felt constrained to take. “Sincerely yours, "WOODROW WILSON. ‘'Hon. Lindlev M. Garrison, Secretary, of War.” " Letter to Breckenridge. “The White House, Washington, Feb. 10, 1916. —My Dear Mr. Breckenridge:j I can quite understand why you deem; it Incumbent upon yon In loyalty to, your chief to follow his example in tendering your resignation, and since I have accepted his resignation, I am sure it will be your desire that I accept yours also. 1 do so with genuine regret because you have In every way fulfilled the highest expectations and rendered the country tho most conscientious and efficient service. "It is with, geqplne sorrow that _|

see this official reT&Hunship between us brought to an end: “Cordially and sincerely yours, ‘WOODROW WILSON. “Hon Henry Breckenridge, assistant secreta/y of war.” Critical Juncture Seen. The first of the preliminary correspondence is a letter by Secretary Garrison dated January 12. He wrote: “War Department, Washington, Jan. 12, 1916.—My Dear Mr. President: In my judgment we are facing a critical juncture with respect to the military part of the national defense program. “I am convinced that unless the situation is dealt with promptly and effectively we can indulge in no reasonable expectation of any acceptable results. “The policy I recommended to you and adopted by you squarely placed the nation upon the sure foundation of national forces. If that policy is made effective by legislation there will be secured to this country for the first time a real, stable foundation for the military part of its national defense. If, however, instead thereof, a policy is adopted based on state troop 3 as the main reliance of this country for its military arm, not only has no advance been made from the deplorable and Inexcusable situation in which we have so long been, but an effective block has been placed across the pathway toward a proper settlement. “The adoption of such a policy would serve to delude the people into believing that the subject had been settled and therefore required no further consideration upon their part. It would, therefore, in my Judgment, be infinitely worse tlian an entire failure of all legislative enactment upon the subject. The latter would at least leave it open for future settlement. “I, of course, am not advised as to the statements of intention made by Mr. Hay to you in the conversations held with you prior to your message to congress at the opening of the present session. I have always felt, and have so expressed myself to you, that the situation in the congress was such that unless you personally exerted the power of yous leadership you would not obtain any worthy results in this matter. “Mr. Hay has now made open declaration of his intention. “Mr. Hay announces that he does not intend to press for the enactment of the military policy advocated in your message. With respect to the regular army, he does not purpose giving us the organizations asked for and imperatively necessary if the federal volunteers (so-called continental army) are to be properly trained; he purposes adding a few thousand men to the enlisted strength of the army In its present organization, the adding of a few regiments of field artillery to the existing organizations of the regular army, the entire abandonment of the idea of a federal force of national volunteers and the passing of a bill granting direct federal pay to the enlisted men and officers of the state troops.

Whole Cause Endangered. “In my judgment the effect of the enactment of Mr. Hay’s program would be to set baelf the whole cause of legitimate, honest national defense in an entirely unjustifiable and inexcusable way. Tt would be, in my judgment. a betrayal of the trust of the people in> this regard It would be illusory and apparent without any reality or substance. “There is, unfortunately, very little knowledge and very little intense personal interest in any of the members of the house concerning military affairs. Apart from the power that always resides in every chairman of committee, Mr. Hav has the additional power of dealing with a subject concerning which the rest of the house has no knowledge and about which it has never concerned itself. In this particular instance his proposal of settling this matter by voting money to the enlisted men and officers of the state troops appeals to the direct personal, political interest of the members. In these circumstances it seems to me to be perfectly clear that unless you interpose your position as leader of the country on this great subject the result will be the lamentable one which I have just described. “If the public obtains the impression that Mr. Hay s solution is merely another means of accomplishing the same end as your proposed policy, they will accept the same and rest content that their desires have been properly met. If, on the other hand, they are clearly and unmistakably advised that to adopt the policy suggested by Mr. Hay is to make a mockery of all that was worthy and virtuous in the proposal of a proper military polity, and that it is a delusion to consider such a solution as a real reliance or security, then there is hope that we can obtain results commensurate with the necessities of the case and with a self-respecting consideration and treatment thereof. “I cannot therefore too strongly urge upon you my view ,of the comparative necessity of your seeking an occasion at the earliest possible moment to declare yourself with respect to the matter, and in doing so, to make it clear beyond peradventure that nothing excepting national forces, raised by the nation and subject to its exclusive authority, responsibility and control is any real settlement of this issue. “Sincerely yours, "LINDLEY M. GARRISON. “The President.” Third to Quit Cabinet. Mr. Garrisop is the third meiaber

of President Wilson's cabinet to resign. The first, Justice Mcßeynolds, resigned as attorney general to accept a seat on the Supreme court. The second, William J. Bryan, resigned as secretary of state because of differences with the president over the conduct of the submarine warfare controversy with Germany.

Lindley M. Garrison.