Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-10-13

tween IS and 45 years of age Is en-
rolled as soldier Of the United
States, under compulsion to serve If
called upon in time Of war.
BY the new system, copied from
Prussia and partly from Great Britain,
there are now approximately 16.OOO,-
900 men liable for field duty under
control Of the war department. These
are divided by law into three Zines"
The first comprises about $4,000 regu-
lars (1731O in 1910. who may be in
creased by enlistment to 100000. The
second Is the National Guard. known
under the acts Of last year. 1908 and
1903, as the organized militia. and now
numbering 1850. with no limit on
its Increase. The third. created by act
of congress, is the reserve militia,
including every citizen capable Of bear
ing arms, and estimated at 15.49O.OO0
men. Most Of these. probably, are un-
aware that they are officially troops
in legally constituted division OF the
United States army.
This vast army Of reserve militia
men is not regarded by the war de-
partment as part of the militia of the
states, but as federal citizen soldiery,"
supplement Of the regular army.
This view is taken to escape the pro
visions Of the constitution which vest
In the states a large control over their
organized National Guard. In tho
opinion Of army experts. this divided
control operates against military eff
cheney. In a report made by the chief
of the division of militia affairs. this
official conviction Is frankly expressed
as follows:
"The conclusion is reached that
while federal citizen soldiery may
be made really efficient for field serv-
ice. a state militia under existing cir.
cumstances will always vary from
very satisfactory to very unsatisfac.
tory. 1t can hardly be expected to be
uniformly efficient.
"A body Of federal citizens soldiers
organized by federal law. would have
to be organized under the power Of
congress, granted by the constitution
to raise and support armies. 1t could
not be any part of the militia author
lied by the Constitution. Such re-
serve force might well constitute a
part of the regular army Of the United
States-a reserve branch to supple
ment and combine with the active
regular army and the organized militia
for national defense in time Of emer-
gency."
In theory the army situation in the
United States, as well as In England.
Is now the same as that Of Prussia !:
that is, all eligible citizens have been
impressed in body into the service
Of the war department. The same
purpose has been served in the three
countries-that in case Of war the
military would not be compelled to de-
pend upon volunteers.
The difference is in the manner In
which the various war departments
exercise their powers. In Germany
compulsory service means that every
citizen At to bear arms belongs for
seven years to the regular army. for
five more years to the landwehr (cOr-
responding to our National Guard),
and then, until his thirty-ninth year.
to 4 second levy Of the landwehr.
During this time from two to three
years must be spent in actual serv
ice under the colors without inter
ruption."
In England It has been taken TO,
granted that a ministry which at
tempted to enforce compulsory mill
tary service in time of peace would col
lapse. There is no doubt that still
more formidable results would follow
any attempt to Prussianize the United
States In actual fact
According to the terms of the
law adopted by congress in 1903 and
amended in 1908 and 1911. 1.-The
militia shall consist of every able
bodied male citizen and every able