The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1915-11-04
NATIONAL DEFENSE

For years We argued from the platform and
through the that the so-caed civilized nations
of the world had become christianized and en-
lghtened that the world would never see another
great war. That there might be sporadic conflicts
between civilized and barbaric powers but white men
would never again engage in the wholesale war MUIR
Ger of one another the red field of battle That
the United States needed neither large army or
expensive navy and that the genius of America
could devote itself to the civic betterment of
its citizens and little attention needed for mill
tary and naval preparation.
How little we understood the ambition of kings
and emperors, the cupidty of commercial interests
and the guibility of the the present condi-
tons of Europe hate and hell proclaim.
Now we have radically changed our minds we be-
Eeve sooner or later this Republic will not only have
to wage stupendoIs war for it's existence, but
also for the world wide rights of men, and prepar-
alton must be begun at for the titanic struggle
We have men enough to put in field an army of
fifteen million; we have the finest raw soldier
material under the sun, but unframed are woe
fully handicapped in conflict with trained legions
We must teach young America the art of war on
land and sea, and yet huge standing army lying in
garrisons and feeding the substance of the peo-
PIE is burden that the American people dislike to
incur.
1t seems to us that might learn a profitable
lesson from the action of Prussia of hundred
years ago.
When Napoleon overthrow Prussia and utterly
crushed her in the battle of jena he imposed on the
Kingdom the most humiliating terms of peace One
of the conditions that Prussia could only main
tain army of 47,OOO men, but the shrewd Prus-
slams enlisted these $4,000 men for one year only
then supplanted them with and established mil
tary training camps where the boys under the term
CT "Landwher," were given military training. Ten
later had tha bact
army arrayed against Napoleon, and his overthrow
was due more to the fact that he would not allow
Prussia to maintain a regular standing army than
to any other thing.
Why should not this government profit by this
old time experience of the Prussans. Increase the
pay of common sailors and soldiers to point
that would attract young men and enlist them
Tor two years only.
We have three million high school boys and one of
the serious problems of American parents is what
to do with them during vacation. Why not establish
military camps at various points in the United
States in charge of competent officials for three
rlonths each year and enlist these high school boys
in "Landwher," furnish them uniforms and equip
ment, pay them moderate wage and give them
three months rigid training every year. There is
rcthing beneficial to man in civil life as a
military training and the dicpline of military life
good, well trained soldier or sailor always makes
good citizen capable of meeting and coping with
every emergency of life.
In our public career always envied those who
lad military training; they always knew what to do
with their hands and feet, thing that has bothered
all life.
If this procedure were followed, the problem of
what to do with boys in vacation time would be
solved and in few years we would have the finest
trained army in the world ready to take the field at
a moments notice. standing army idly unoccu-