The Washington times., 1915-04-09


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
! 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 cXpecta-
ton that, when war does come, her
voluntary system can be depended on.
These are the characterizations that
Americans may draw from the British
war office statement 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 mllitarism in the background
and depending, in pinch, on having
their citizens come forward, voluntarily,
to serve the country
Kitchener's Spokesman.
The statement was given me by the
Rt. Rev. Hon. Harold j. Tennant, par
lamentary under-secretary for war; the
official spokesman of Lord Kitchener on
the floor Of the house of commons.
When you ask Harold J. .Tennant ques-
tions about the war and the war depart
ground. He's the minister whose duty
Il Is to tackle the tornadoes of inquiries
that are asked by members OF the COM
mons; 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 the close cooperation
between Lord Kitchener and Mr.. Ten
nant They are personal associates
When Mr.. Tenant. some days ago, con-
formed to the latest usage. in London
society by acquiring a pair of horn
trimmed spectacles, Lord Kitchener fol-
lowed suit. And when Lord Kitchener
initiates a man, that man must be a re.
spected friend. What Harold Tenant
doesn't know about government affairs
from Lord Kitchener he is likely to get
from Sir Edward Grey, England's for
days of the war 1t has been Sir Edward
Grey's sole relaxation to go to his club
nightly and play game OF billiards
with Tennant.
Mr.. Tenant began the interview by
asking me a question::
What do you think" he said. "is the
feature of our military policy which is
most interesting to Americans?'
Two Nations Plan.
It came to me to ask him 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 on their citizens. The English
American 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.
Tenant, have been put upon the vol
untary system in this war: 1t has had
to undergo a much more severe trial
than ever previously contemplated. and
it has triumphantly withstood the or
deal"
Take first the territorial force" said
Mr.. Tennant. The territorial force, 1t
may be explained. corresponds to tho
American militia. There were rough
ly. at the beginning of the war a quar-
army. a good many thousand below its
paper strength. OF these some had been
enlisted for some time, and had gone
through the required drills and training
in camp. Others, who had enlisted more
recently. had done no more than a
fortnight's camp training, and some OF
them had done not even that On the
4th of August. therefore, when war was
declared, 1t stood upon Its trial"
Apply this same description to the
American militia and you can read the
significance of Mr.. Tenants desCrip
ton in terms Of the American military
problem.
We have now been nearly eight
months at war and nothing has hap
pened to nccessitate our calling upon
the territorial force to perform the
service for which 1t was originally in
ended-that Is, to protect the country
from INVASION
What has happened, then, to the
territorial force?" I asked
1T was. at the beginning Of August
some thousands below it's paper estab-
lishment. 1t is now more than double
what 1t was originally intended to be.