The evening world., 1911-06-10
Proposes Six Months or Year
in Service at Finish of Uni
verSity Course.
TO BE READY FOR WAR.
Says Country Would Soon
Have Trained Citizen SOL
dirs for Emergency.

II. u, June ~
Major-Gen. Leonard Wood. Chief OF
STAFF Of the United States Army, ia
out with a brand new plan to re.
cruit the citizen soldiery OF the ma.
tion entirely apart from the Nation.
al Guard. In brief the plan Is to
give all college g.aduates at least
the rudiments OF a military training
by an actual enlistment In the army
for a term Of six months or a year
after graduation.
The scheme IL merely tentative as vet
and whether the enlistment OF the col
lege men should be compulsory, by act
been considered.
Gen. Wood points out that when. in
1868. the army of the Southern Cross
needed men more than ammunition to
prolong the war with the North. the
students OF the Virginia Military 1nsti-
tute toften called the West Point Of
the South marched out In a body to
the support OF the C~onfederacy. The
ages OF these young soldiers ranged
from fourteen to eighteen a the
majority OF them being nearer fourteen
than eighteen. The services they rem
dered to Gen. Robert Z. Lee and the
Lost Cause" in Virginia forms n
OF the bright age OF the history Of
the civil war.
I. Is recalled that In 1906. when Ma
poleon signed the treaty with the King
OF Prussia. he Internationally laid the
foundation for an army OF sturdy Prus-
SLAMS which was later to whip his al
most irwin chile Old Guard. Napoleon
had thrashed the Prussians unmsrci-
fully in 1905. his army driving the little
Prussian army to the TOUR winds. Then
Napoleon thought he would eliminate.
the Prussians from further participation
In the to control Europe. so IN
the treaty following the war he stipu-
lated that at no time was the Prussian
army to consist OF more than 5000 men.
Gen. S~charnhorst, then head OF the
Prussian army, saw that II Napoleon
should give the country time Prussia
could In a few years turn out a finished
army through the 40.oo0-a-year enlist
scheme Therefore. Gen. Scharn-
horst simply made all enlistments to
the Prussian army a year In length.
In this way he made almost finished
soldiers OF practically the entire male
population Of Prussia.
HELPED TO WHIP NAPOLEON
At WATERLOO.
SO well did his scheme work that. in
1915. when the Germans met Napoleon
at Waterloo, 10000 OF the Germans
were men who had served short time
enIistments in the Prussian army. The
training they had thus received aided
them to whip the great Napoleon. vino
ten years before had routed and driven
them 10 the four corners Of the empire.
Gen. Woods idea Is to have every
young man as he graduates from coll
lege enlist in the regular army under a
special enlistment for six months or a
year. the oholce OF the period to be left
to the recruit. These young men are to
have their " organization with the
exception OF the officers. Their service
and discipline will be the same as those
OF the regular troops and will be In the
field. They will be given close and open
formation drills. camping and field work
and a full season OF target n work
with the regulation military rife.
Then General thinks that whom the
young man has finished his enlistment
OF six months or a year. ana gets al
honorable discharge. he would 80 into
civil life better prepared from the point
OF discipline and health to begin his
fight with tho world. as well AZ with
better foundation for military duty
II called upon to fight for his country.
III every young man graduating from
college would enlist In the regular arm
for six months. m spend the time in
the field. in fifteen years the United
States could send several hundred thou
sand experienced soldiers into service
IL the need should arise" said Gen.
Wood to-day. such enlistment by the
college man would help him. the army
and the nation.
at would take the young man out OF
the classroom and put h,m into the field.
the healthiest place for him. 1t would
develop his body ana mind. II would
prepare him for his business or pro-
fesslonal career by disciplining him. BY
his intelligence and constant application
during svsp six months he would alb
sorb enough militsrism and practical
military knowledge TO make him = most
valuable citizen soldier IL the occasion
arose for a hurried organization OF .
large volunteer army.
REGULAR ARMY OFFICERS As
THEIR TUTORS.
when he leaves college he is be-
tween the ages OF eighteen and twenty
two years. the time when he develops
and absorbs more than at any other
DC Rod OF his life. Take any healthy
college boy just as no caves the Class.
room and put him where he will have
to do for himself. prepare his own