The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-08-27

II strikes me that cN-PreSidcnt Taft
has recommended a wise and feasible
plan for augmeuting our military de-
tense; for, while | am for peace, and
believe that many a war might have
been averted by peaceful methods,
yet | know from the history of the
world, that wars will come, and are
bound to come till the Christian Spirit
IN 1t is much greater and deeper than
at present | do not believe in a great
standing army, or training a whole
nation in military tactics and prac-
tice as Germany has been doing for
torty years; tor many years my friends
returning from Europe have had much
to say about the military caste in that
country and the strong offence to
American ideals of the ever present
soldier with the Strutting officer. But
| am tree to say that | think our
regular army too small for the size of
our country, even regarding it as
SIMPLY national police. But aside from
that point of the mere number of
private soldiers, eN-Prcsident Tafts
suggestion of more trained officers
and an increase of military schools
Tor that purpose is a wise one he
suggests two or three more beside
West Point; he does not hint where
they might be located, but it all al
once occurred to me that if only two
were added one might be we'll located,
say, in the southwest Tennessee, for
the central and lower south and south
west, and another in the Rocky
Mountains or on the Pacific coast. In
these large number of picked men
should be thoroughly educated and
trained in military science; such of
them as desired might be retained up
on graduation in active service and the
remainder be allowed to re-enter pri-
waite life, and when the country needed
such men we should have a sufficient
number to officer and help train
good sized volunteer army. Return
ing to the army in the countrys need
as General u, S. Grant and many
Others did in 1861; and the larger
number to draw from would presum-
ably prevent the appointment from
private life of lot of unframed men
to high command, as was the case at
the opening of the Mexican war and
the Rebellion in 1861.
Those who have read the autobio-
graphy of Gen. Winfield Scott will re.
call how he was Disguised with his
patch OF civilian generals at the open.
ing OF the Mexican war, and how they
veXed his soul And at the opening
OF the Civil war it almost seemed as
though every man who had ever been
IN the militia service was made a gem
eral OF course, many of the men
commissioned from civil life were
teachable and learned and developed
INTO able commanders, such as Logan,
Terry and many others. But what
boon it would have been to our coun-
try if we had then had in reserve some
or even hundreds, of edu-
Gated men well trained in military
science.
| happened to know of one such
case which illustrates the subject;
was personally acquainted with the
man; he had been in a good military
school; not West Point, but school
which gave a sound military training;
when the war broke out he was in
middle life; company was raised in
a town from which one man had been
killed in the Baltimore riot in April,
1901, when the Massachusetts Sixth
was fired on. 1t was known that he
had received a military training and
was asked to become their drillmaster,
and he soon put them through such a
course that it was the talk Of the
whole region; and that company was
invited TO give exhibition drills in adj
joining towns as an object lesson;
well remember when it came to my
native place and how the whole popu-
latlon turned out to see and applaud,
Before the war there had been in
Boston two or three independent bat
tallons of three or four companies;
it was proposed that each of these
should form the basis of a regiment,
the quota to be filled up with com.
panies from country towns, and the
which | have mentioned was
to one of these battalions;
as the city organizations had been
crack" companies and for some
years in the military establishment of
the state, they desired all the field
officers when organized into a regi-
ment; but the celebrated John A.
Andrew, "the war Governor" of the
old Bay State had watched the very
thorough drill of that company from
The country town, and knew that their
irlllmaster was not only an all-round
nan, but with a military education,
md insisted that If he would enter the
service he should become Major; and
IS such he went to the front: at first
he city companies were prejudiced
against him. but after few months in