The Washington herald., 1916-01-06
HUGH CHALMERS
BACKS DEFENSE
Motor Car Manufactures Be
heves Most Auto Makers
Are for Preparedness.
WOULD TRAIN employees
Eayors Series of Rio Concentration
Fasors Series of Big Concentration
Camps for Summer Months.
Urges Education.

New York, Jan. 5.-Stating his en-
phstic belief in greater, United
States navy. military training for all
citizens, and a general national pro-
gram of preparedness, Hugh Chal-
merS, Detroit motor car manufacturer.
yesterday took direct issue with the
views of his fellow citizen and manu-
fscturer, Henry Ford.
Mr.. Chalmers, who is stopping at
the Hotel Belmont during the Auto
mobile Show, claims that the majority
of automobile makers are not in SYM
pathy with Ford's propaganda, and
denounced in no uncertain terms the
peace-at-any-price advocates.
Il believe that business men gener-
ally throughout the country are in
favor of a larger American army and
navy" said Mr.. Chalmers. The navy
as the first line of defense should, by
all means, be kept on par with the
nsVies of frst-class European powers
This. however, is matter largely of
legislation.
The army. on the other hand, is a
proposition that every employer of
men in the United States is in a posi-
tion to aid. The recent encampment
of New York business men at Platts-
burg showed plainly how much could
be accomplished were this feature of
training extended to include the hun
dreds of thousands of workmen in all
sections of the country.
For Military Training.
We employ some 5000 men at the
Detroit plant of the Chalmers Com
pany In my opinion a plan could be
devised whereby in the next five years
every one of these men could spend a
month in active military service under
the supervision of regular army Off
GERS.
Il don't believe these men should be
made to stand all OF the expense, be-
cause they have their families to look
after and they could not afford to lose a
months pay. I believe, however, that
the men should stand some part of II,
because they would not be making . con-
tribution to their country's service il
they did not pay part.
Il would, personally, be willing TO pay
half the salaries of my own employees
during these thirty days of training, and
l believe other employers would prob
ably agree to the same plan. This would
Of course, cost the manufacturers of
this country a considerable sum in the
next five years. but believe 1t would be
their just contribution to the cause of
preparedness.
Cooperation of American employers
in plan of this kind would provide the
nucleus OF a trained army of gigantic
proportions, and 1 believe the average
man would gladly take up his share of
the work. In place of the incons pieuous
annual State encampments of the Ma
ttonal Guard. each State could hold a se-
ries of big concentration camps during
the summer months, providing really
valuable military training for thousa nds
OF men. coupled with the physical bene-
fits resulting from a month in the open:
Il have little patience with the type
OF man who claims that military train
ing will turn Americans into a nation
Of militarists Our chief danger lies more
in thinking that money alone spells sue
cess. We must curb the money-mad
spirit OF America and look to the educa-
tion and physical well-being of our cIti-
zens.''