The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-04
Military Training in Schools:
Bearing on National Defence
Makes for Preparedness Sufficient to Back Up the Dig
nifed Words Which Self-Respect Compels This
Country to Use to the Warning Nations Abroad.
ny CHARLES rRpDDRICK BRUsrr, A ~.
Principal Mount Pleasant Aead ma Ossinius-on.u.A.. = y

80 sui IN the runa period OF life.
bnt these protests almost invariably
oonne from those who have had no ex-
perience in training boys for citizenship
In a military school. For twenty-nve
years l have a such experience, and
II u from this experiences, from close
o~psarvaton and from long study OF the
subject that ] now speak.
As We think In CONSERVATION OF the
tremendous army that we must devotion
ana maintain, much comfort may be
derived IL We turn our view from the
people or France and Germany groan-
ING under the burden Of military SER
vice, n direct II toward peaceful and
peace loving swift seriand. that little
country absolutely surrounded BY war
ring nations n yet enjoying the
blessing OF peace, because II IL a ma
ton where all male citizens, although
devoted to peace. arc soldiers and
soidiers. too. trained almost exoiu-
Hvely a. school boys In the public
I SCHOOLS OF the country. How little q
mans lie work In Switzerland Is inter-
rupted. after leaving school. by his mill
tary service will be appreciated yhen
we learn that durins the first ten wears
OF his service in the army he IA taken
from his life work for such service for
only LOB days. an average OF shout
eleVen days a year. or. rather, twenty
Two Gays every second year: for he Is
called upon for service only once I'm
TWO years. Nor Is this service a bur
oen' Tor these calls to the colors be-
come practically reunions of old COM
rades and are enjoyable in every way.
furthermore, In Switzerland each
man Is a marksman. For making him
suoh, every inducement Ia held out by
the Government. and sven holidays are
eagerly used for shis healthful and
valuable competitive exercise. Thus
every citizen OF lighting age has his
weapon. up TO date and furnished by
the Government. and he can use II with
deadly erect. No wonder the warrins
nations Of Europe hesitate to violate
the neutrality OF Switzerland. A self
respecting nation where every male
citizen OF mature years holds a modern
weapon trained upon the enemy as he
steps across the frontier Is protected
ny something more formidable than a
scrap OF paper"
Now Imagine our own country SINH
iarly protected. With the Swiss mill
AIRY system established in the United
States our country would b protected
ny an organized body of citizen SOL
diers numbering easily 10000. 900 men
trained to shoot and equipped with
modern weapons I'm every branch Of
the service. If In addition to his land
force, our navy should be built UP until
!. is the equal of any navy anoat, no
hostile country on the face OF the earth
would for one moment think OF attack
ing us. Expense? TIL whole cost of
such an establishment could he met
from the saving in governmental e1-
penditures IL official graft could be cut
out and German efficiency introduced
into The business of state.
But. furthermore. the expense Of such
a system would be offset by the saw
ing incident to the Swiss system and by
the added efficiency resulting there
from. Gen. Leonard Wood. one OF our
most highly educated citizens and a
soldier of the first rank, in speaking
OF a trained army for this country
says
1T II not enough that a man should
he willing to be a soldier. He should
also be so prepared as TO be an eff
cient one. This can only be accom-
plished through training. Switzerland
and Australia have shown that this can
he done through the public-school eys-
tenn. and with a resulting vast Improve
ment in public morals and the quality
OF citizenship. The criminal rate in
Switzerland il only a small fraction
OF ours. Respect for the law and con-
stituted authorities. the nag OF the
country. and a high sense OF patriotism
are evident on all sides. and yet there
is practically no standing army
The improvement in public morals and
the quality of citizenship and the re.
duction OF the criminal rate to a frac-
ton OF what It is to-day should mean
the addition Of millions and millions of
dollars TO the wealth of this country.
Hudson Maxim In his book. Defence
less America speaking OF the Swiss
system, says: Tho youth IL taught
obedience, his powers of perception are
Quickened. his alertness increased. his
physique greatly strengthened. his
health benefited. and his personal habits
governed by laws. OF temperance and
hygiene. with the result that his EN-
cheney for usefulness in all the business
Affairs of civil life afterward 10
greatly enhanced. Thus, in Switzerland,
the earning power of tho population 10
increased out OF all proportion to the
cost for tho training and maintenance
Of the entire army"
Instead OF financial and military
burdens, then. az a result of the intro
duction OF this system into the United
States we should nave increased wealth.
peace of mind. added self-respect and
security. These are results for which
we should he willing TO pay a great
price, but here they are TO be had prac-
tically for the taldpg, and, In the judg-
ment of MANY of our deepest thinkers
and most patriotic citizens. no undeslr-
able results can possibly follow.
There are. however. two objections
which are often put forward TO the
training OF our citizen army In the
schools of the country.
First II is urged that there Ia no time
In the school year for such training
without interfering with the intellectual
advancement Of the pupil. Even II this
were 80. II Is a very pertinent question
whether or not those advantages OF mill
tary training described above by Gen.
Wood and Mr.. Maxim would not furnish
most adequate compensation for any
sacrifice that might have to be made
along strictly scholastic lines. BE that
as Il may. the maintenance OF our ma
tional existence In the face OF foreign
aggression is a big consideration 10 set
over against a few hours more or less
of mere BOO learning,
However. we who have had expert
ence In military schools know from
that experience mat, In boarding schools
at least, the most effective military
training can be carried on throughout
the course without I'm any way inter-
fering with the intellectual work OF
the school. II would. too, be difficult
to convince us that daily military train
ing could not be introduced into all tho
public schools OF the country, not only
without detracting from either the quail
ity or quantity of Intellectual work
done. hut with added effectiveness along
all lines of physical, mental and moral
Al l,nttr "A haNv tnIght