Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-04-12
By William K. Shepherd.
Copyright 1915 by the United Pre-

Copyright 1915 by the United Press,
copyrighted in Great Britain.)
London, April l2,--America is right
in not having a great standing army
made up Of men forced into service.
America is right in not demanding
that all her young men shall give the
best years of their lives to military
service, America is right in going on
about her business, depending upon the
expectation that, when war does come,
her voluntary system can be depended
upon.
These are the conclusions that Ameri.
cans may draw from this statement
from the British war office made to
the United Press today;
q" Unprecedented strains have been
put on the voluntary system in this
war, and it has triumphantly withstood
the ordeal
England and America are the only
two first class powers in the world that
have the voluntary systematic system
of keeping militarism in the back
ground and depending, in pinch, on
having their citizens come forward
voluntarily to serve the country.
The statement was given me by the
Right Hon. Harold j. Tenant, paria.
mentary under secretary for war and
official spokesman for Lord Kitchener
on the floor in the house Of commons.
When you ask Harold j. Tenant ques.
tiOns about the war and the war de.
partment you are meeting him on his
home ground. He is the minister whose
duty it is to tackle the tOrnadOes Of
inquiries that are asked by members
of the commons. Lord Kitchener
answers questions in the house Of lords.
One Of the best features Of the
British war office administration since
the war began has been close coopera.
ton between Lord Kitchener and Mr..
Tennant, They are personal associates.
When Mr.. Tennant, some days ago, con
formed to the latest usage Of London
society by acquiring pair Of horn
rimmed spectacles, Lord Kitchener fol
lowed suit. What Harold Tenant
doesn't know about government af.
fairs from Lord Kitchener, he is likely
to get from Sir Edward Grey, England's
foreign secretary, During the strenu-
Gus days of the war it has been Sir
Edward = sole relaxation to go TO his
club nightly and play a game Of bill.
liards with Tennant.
Mr.. Tennant began the interview by
asking me a question: "What do you
think is the feature Of our military
policy which is most interesting TO
Americans
II came 10 me TO ask about the
voluntary military service, which only
England and America, Of all the first
class powers, have dared to follow. The
other great nations must force military
service upon their citizens The Eng.
lish.Amercan plan was being tested by
England in the greatest war In history
and / thought America would like TO
know how the voluntary system was
standing the strain.
Unprecedented strains said Mr..
Tennant, "haye been put upon the
voluntary system In this war; IL has
had TO undergo much more severe
trial than ever previously contemplated,
and II has triumphantly witbstoOd the
ordeal"
"Take first the Territorial force,'
Mr. Tennant continued The Territorial
force, Il may be explained, corresponds
to the American militia. "There were
roughly at the beginning Of the war q
quarter of a million soldiers in that
army, a good many thousand below its
paper strength. OF these, some hao
been enlisted for some time and had
gone through the required drills and
training in camp. Others had enlisted
more recently and had done no NOR,
than a fortnight's temporary training
and some Of them had done not ever
| that.
"On August A. therefore, when wal
was declared, II stood upon It's trial.
Apply this same description to tb,
American militia aud you can read thu
same significance Of Mr.. Tenant
description Of tine terms Of the Ameri
can military problem.
We have now been nearly eigh
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