The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1911-07-06
Every Ablebodied Male
Between Is and rs a
Federal Militiaman
RNYHEN President Taft ordered
WY the unprecedented mobiliza-
ton Of the United States


frontier there were many who cried
"militarism." Perhaps they did not
know that under an unobtrusive enact
ment Of congress every ablebodied citi-
zen between eighteen and forty-fve
years Of age is enrolled as soldier of
the United States, under compulsion to
serve if called upon in time Of war.
By the new system, copied partly
from Prussia and partly from Great
Britain, there are now approximately
100000 men liable for field duty un-
der control Of the war department.
These are divided by law into three
Zines" The first line comprises
about $4,000 regular soldiers, who may
be increased by enlistment to 100000.
The second is the national guard,
known under the acts of last year,
1908 and 1908 as the organized militia
and now numbering 121,5SO, with no
limit on its increase. The third, Great
ed by act Of congress, is the reserve
militia, including every citizen capable
Of bearing arms and estimated at 15,-
100000 men. Most Of these probably
are unaware that they are officially
troops in legally constituted division
of the United States army.
This vast body of reserve militiamen
is not regarded by the war department
as part of the militia of the states, but
as federal citizen soldiery," a supple
ment of the regular army. This view
is taken to escape the provisions of the
constitution which vest in the states
large control over their organized ma
tional guard. In the opinion of army
experts this divided control operates
against military efficiency. 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 a federal citizen soldiery may
be made really efficient for field serv-
ice, 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 citizen soldiery,
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 a re-
serve force might we'll constitute a
part of the regular army of the Unit
ed States-a reserve branch to supple
ment and combine with the active
regular army and the organized mill
tia for national defense in time Of
emergency"
Situation Like Prussia's.
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 mil
1tary 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 fit to bear arms belongs for
five more years to the landwehr (cor-
responding to our national guard and
then until his thirty-ninth year to a
second levy of the landwehr. During
this time from two to three years
must be spent in actual service "un-
der the colors without interruption"
In England it has been taken for
granted that ministry which at
tempted to enforce compulsory mill
tary service in time Of peace would
collapse. 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 1910. "the militia
shall consist Of every ablebodied male
citizen and every ablebodied male of
foreign birth who has declared his in
tention Of becoming a citizen"
The service began theoretically from
the passage of the act. There are no
exemptions save federal officeholders
and those who may be especially ex-
cepted by state laws. Peace advocates
may escape if they can prove that they
belong to "anti-war religious sects,
churches or organizations we'll recog-
nized at the time Of the passage Of
this act" They cannot organize emer-
gency peace and good will' societies
in order to evade military duty.
The reorganization of the military
system Of the United States was put
into effect during the Roosevelt era
and planned not only the formation Of
an immense reserve militia under fed
eral instead Of state command, but also
the extension Of federal control bv Diff
ferent devices over the national guard.
Militia Only EARNED Mob"
frct VUoe+ Dol1L