The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1915-04-09
BY WILLIAM SHEPHERD.

Copyright, 1915, by United Press.
Copyrighted in Great Britain.
London, April 9-America is right
in not having great standing army
made up of men forced into service.
America is right in not demanding
that ali her young men shall give
the best years of their live to mill
tary service America is right in
going about her business upon the
expectation, that when war does
come her voluntary system can be
depended upon.
These are the conclusions that
Americans may draw from this state
ment from the British war office,
made to the United Press today:
unprecedented strains have been
put upon 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 follow the voluntary system
the system of keeping militarism in
the background and depending, in a
pinch, on having their citizens come
forward, voluntarily, to serve the
country.
Kitchener Followed Suit.
The statement was given me by
the Rt. Hon. Harold J. Tenant, par
liamentary under secretary Of war,
the official spokesman of Lord Kitch-
ener on the floor of the house of
commons. When you ask Harold j.
Tenant about the war and war re-
suits you are questioning him on his
own ground. The secretary has to
face a tornado of inquiries that are
asked Lord Kitchener in the house
of commons. One of the best feat
ures in the British war office shown
since the war began has been the
close cooperation between Lord
Kitchener and Mr.. Tenant. They are
personal associates. When Mr. Ten
nant some days ago conformed to the
latest usages in London society by
acquiring pair of horn-rimmed spec
tacles, Lord Kitchener followed suit
And when Lord Kitchener initiates
man, that man must be a respected
friend. What Harold Tenant
doesn't know about government af-
fairs from Lord Kitchener, he is like
ly to get from Sir Edward Grey, Eng
lands foreign secretary. During the
strenuous days Of the war it has
been Sir Edward Grey's sole relaxa-
ton to go to his club nightly and
play a game of billiards with Ten
nant
Which Most Interesting?
Mr.. Tenant began the interview
by asking me a question: what
do you Think" he said, sis the feat
ure of your military policy, which
is most interesting to Americans?'
1t came to me to ask him about
the voluntary military service,
which only England and America, Of
all the first class powers, have con-
tinued to follow. Other great nations
must force military service on their
citizens The nglish-American plan
was being tried by England in the
greatest war in history, and I thought
the people would like to know how
the military system was standing the
strain.
unprecedented strains" said Mr..
Tenant, "have been put upon the
voluntary system in this wear; it has
had to undergo a much more severe
trial than ever contemplated and it
has triumphantly withstood the or
DEAL"
Corresponds to Militia.
'Take first the territorial force
said Mr.. Tenant. "The territorial
force, it may be explained, cores
ponds to the American militia. There
were roughly at the beginning Of the
war a quarter Of million soldiers
in that army, good many thousand
below it's paper strength. Of these
some had been enlisted for some
time and had gone through the re-
quired drills and training in camp
Others who had enlisted more recent
ly, had done no more than a fort
nights camp training, and some Of
them had done not even that. On the
fourth of August, therefore, wher
war was declared it stood upon it,
trial.
Apply this same description to thu
American militia and you can reat
the same significance of Mr.. Ten
nant's description in terms of tn.