The Washington herald., 1910-10-14
The Military Shirt

Considerable attention has been attract
ed by the statement of Gen. Leonard
Wood. Chief OF stan of the United states
army, that every boy in the United States
should received a military training The
statement was made at the annual meet
ing in ST. Louis of the National Guard
Association. which was attended by
number Of army officers. Gen. Wood, In
his speech. said that he realized that the
military resources Of the country are be-
low actual requirements. He believes that
the National Guard should be a stronger
and much larger force. and that Ma
tional Guardsmen should receive pay for
their services Then IL was that he went
on 10 say that he believed that every
American boy over thirteen years of age
should receive military training as a part
of his schooling. He should be taught
tactics. the science OF handling rifle.
and the rudiments OF military knowledge.
The opinion thus given by Gen. Wood
who, however. though he is the rank
ing officer in the United States army.
never received any military training in
youths the same opinion that has re-
Gently been voiced in Great Britain,
where, in an effort to bring the army up
10 the standard. they are seriously con-
sidering the question OF CONSUMPTION. after
the plan of Germany. II is patent 10
every observer that the old spirit that
filed the ranks OF the militia has died
out 10 a great extent. and in many States
to-day it is impossible 10 keep the Ma
tional Guard up 10 the maximum re-
quired. II would seem. according to
the opinion OF military men. that we
are IN grave danger OF becoming a non
military nation.
For ourselves, we fail to see any very
grave danger even II such a contingency
should come about. The energy that in
olden days OF the nation was expended in
feats ofarms and In military training serves
to-day to do battle in the peaceful lists
OF commerce and industry. In the past,
IL is true. that as nations decreased in
military ardor they began to decline. but
history does not necessarily repeat itself.
a new era has dawned. and much OF our
thought and tradition about military serv-
ice has become obsolete and ou, Of keep
ing with the spirit OF the times.
Those who. like Gen. Wood. deprecate
our neglect of the military. point out
that our one hundred millions Of people
are rapidly increasing in wealth. making
the raiding of the nation a tempting bait.
But to argue thus is. we think. to deny
20 the American spirit that enormous po-
tential force. which will always make the
invasion OF this land by any foreign ag-
gressor an impossibility. In this worka-
day world, where there are a thousand
new interests 10 where there was one
two centuries ago, we are too busy-have
too many real things to do-to toy with
guns and marching and military glory.
The glory of our age is the glory OF
peace-of victories in the field OF AIT and
Industry and invention. So far as milf
tary drill is a good thing for the physique
of our American youth il may be most
heartily advocated though in such or
ganlzations as The Boy Scouts" the lads
get all the necessary training and drill
and instruction in self-relianee without
the adventitious aids Of militarism. Prog
ress in science Is being made so rapidly
that there is no one wise enough 10 pre-
diet as 10 what value a marching, rihe-fr-
ing army viii be IN the next great war
We have. in the last decade, seen so
many wonders in the way OF high expio-
sives. submarines. airships. and other in