The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-24
COLUMBIA CROWDS
DEFENCE MEETING
Gen. Wood and Mayor Mitchell
Urge Large Attendance
at Plattsburg.
HALL Is FAR TOO SMALL

Columbia University didn't have a
building large enough to accommodate
the tudents who thronged the prepared
ness meeting in Earl Hall yesterday
noon to hear Major-Oen. Wood and
| Mayor Mitchell expound their views OF
the kind OF militarism the United states
! needs and to urge a full attendance al
the Plattshurg training camp
Earl Hall was designed TO hold not
more than 800 persons. but twice that
number Of boisterous undergraduates
crowded into the auditorium long before
the scheduled time of the meeting. and
| close to 1000 ciamored for admission
| after Harry A. Fisher. graduate man
agcr Of athletics. constituted himself
scrgeant at arms Of the meeting and re-
! fused to allow more to enter.
Were ii not for a spiral stairway Lead
ing from the rear entrance To the plat
form Gen. Wood might have been forced
to battle his way through the mob and
give a physical example OF the value OF
preparedness, Prolonged cheers greeted
the speakers.
COMPULSORY llllllhl lt "
every man was the theme of Gen. Woods
talk and he asserted that this training
should accompany the right to vote. He
vas seconded by Mayor Mitchell. who In
turn made "A plea that Congress should
take definite steps 10 bring about a prac-
, ticable plau for military training. The
Mayor brought his plea nearer home.
too. by urging that Columbia turn out
the biggest division at the 1916 camp.
.AaNt- - IsAn Mood said
ARE you students going to help or not?
II you are coming to help are YOU COM
ing prepared? Willingness Is a good
thing. but you need training. We plan
Ia build up a reserve Of 10000 officers.
This may seem a large reserve. but re-
member that In the civil war there were
100000 officers in the field.
w ale entirely unprepared for war.
All the countries are organized except
China and the United States. n YOU uni
v.rsity men consider your country worth
defending YOU must train yourselves.
Anyone in authority who sends men into
war unframed and undiscipl.ned is
guilty OF murder.
you cannot go to . more healthful
spo, than Tlattshu'g There is no dis
sipat!on a, rlattsbuig and NO immoral
conditions there. | had several college
presidents. some OF WHOM had sons
~ . Nv Nv Nv t.lB u iptNtu III
those conditions.
W should make citizens of our peo-
| pie. Aliens grouped together. speaking
their own langidg. and reading their
own dialect newspapers can only be
made citizens by making them render
the same serve. al the same time. II
- this sp r;t which makes France SUI
peib. 1t Is time We did something for
this country. We need a spiri, like
that in switzerland
Mayor Mitchell eNpla ned the daily
routine of tho Plattsburg encampment
and eN'olled its advantages. Likewise.
il" took occasion To deny to his Column
hia auditors tina, loose morals were
riinpant in the amp as had heel
charged by Cho!en0e. the student mag
,zine established AT Columbia a month
ago.
For college mon there couldn't be
healthier or more pleasant life or one
tia. makes for better morals" said the
Map ~. Il have never seen 1900 men
living under cleaner conditions or am
mated with more patriotic spirit. To-
day We are without national defence
IN an international crisis. There H. no
greater question before the country nov
'han tia, Of building W our defences
without waiting for future years.
In 81 out OF Congress. ts,r. : 81
present 10 plan FOR tic upbulldns oi
cnmpl't" preparedness I'll. hes; We
have right UoW a.c the summer camps
for the training of reserve officers. I
believe that %" efficient plan viii Ice
adopted until We get a general citlzen
training that eNsmpts no man. The
people Of this country are ready 20 sup
port stiCd a programme. for on my recent
TRIP to th" conference Of mayors at ST.
Louis not a inglc member Of the con-
| ference raised affection IN this tlAp "