Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-09-15
The Lesson of the PIattsburg Military
Encampment.

Mayor Mitchell talks sensibly about
the Plattsburg encampment He under
stands that the work donet here, that is
to say the drilling, evolutions, maneuv-
ers and theoretical instructions in the
A B c of warfare, did not qualify the
business men who spent a month at
Plattsburg for the duties and respon-
sibilities of regimental officers in the
field We have no doubt that they also
understand this, for a keener and more
serious minded body Of men was never
assembled in this country to receive
military instruction. We do not except
the youngsters of the college encamp-
ments, although in vigir and stamina
| they had the advantage of their seniors
"The Plattsburg encampment," says
Mayor Mitchell, has taught 300 of the
representative men of the nation the
futility of relying on volunteer armies
in case of need" This is not a refec-
tion upon the rank and file of the Ma
tional Guard or militia, which contains
some splendid regiments, not as good
as the regulars, but worthy to be brig
AIDED with regulars. Speaking for his
Plattsburg comrades, Mr.. Mitchell goes
on to say:
I'VE know, in a way that arguments
can never bring home, that a soldier
much less an officer, cannot be made in
few weeks of training, and that it
would be crime against our people,
amounting to nothing less than nation
al suicide, to send into the field armies
off h., -
volunteers"
The speaker had in mind the old
system, which came down to the Span
ISL war and which sent crudely organ
lied regiments of ineffectives TO the
colors for service. Sometimes these
regiments were raised and commanded
by influential politicians, who knew
much less about drilling a squad of vol
dnteers than the business men who
have taken preliminary course in sol
diering at Plattsburg. Fortunately the
United States was not at war with
military nation in 1898; and, fortunat
ly, the brunt of the fighting in Cuba
and the Philippines fell on a regular
|army which, although small, never fail
ed the country in emergency.
The volunteers of that period made
excellent troops after few months OF
campaigning, but in the future, if the
United States is to be involved in sci
entific warfare such as the opposing
armies are now waging in Europe, our
volunteer army must go into the field
trained to the hour and commanded bv
competent officers. Otherwise it will
be only food for powder and in very
short time
Surely the cncampment at PIatts-
burg was worth while because this
truth was brought home 10 more than
a thousand, ~ ''the representative men
of the nation" Their influence will be
used intelligently, and we believe con-
servatively, Which admits of no delav
And to their influence they would add
proiIer of service il he country
should need them; for, as the Mavor
states the case soundly, they have re-
ceived groundwork which can easily
be built upon to make these 400
men material to supplement with Off
GERS the nations meagre quota Of train
ed regulars and trained militia" It
is the height of absurdity to insinuate
as has been done in some quarters. that
these patriotic men claim precedence
over the devoted officers of the Nation
al Guard. Unquestionably the coun-
try needs more Plattsburgs, North.
South, East and West-New York snn
Edmund Breese, in 1.-The Shooting
~ 1nw- A-fM