The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1916-01-06
COMPULSORY ARMY
SERVICE POSSIBLE
IN UNITED STATES
American War Department CON-
sidering Plan for Training
All Men Of Country.

S1der1ng Ran Tor framing
All Men Of Country.
Washington, Dec. 3O.-Great
Britain's effort to carry on the
war without resort to conscrip-
ton is being anxiously watched
in its every development by the
American war department, be-
tcause, army officers say, the
United Kingdoms situation
touches at the root Of conditions
the United States faces in carry
ing out the administration army
increase program.
If Great Britain decided for
CONSUMPTION, high officials stated
today, long step will have been
taken toward the time when uni
versal service will be generally
accepted in the United States as
national necessity. If Great,
Britain goes on with volunteers
American officials feel that moth
ing short of great military de-
feat would bring the United
States to universal service. Ev-
en- entirely aside from it's part in
the European war officials be-
lieve the question of whether SER.
vice with the colors in time of
need shall be a legally recognized
duty Of citizenship is of vital i'm
portance on this side Of the At
lantic. The virtually unanimous
opinion Of the commission per-
sonnet of the army and civil Off
cials of the war department is.
said to be that adequate pre-
paredness only can be secured on
the basis of universal military
service. .t.
The administration s continent
al army plan, it was learned au- j.
thoritatively tonight, is designed
to create either the volunteer or
universal service system. It was
framed with the Swiss system as
a model, and lacks only one fea-
ture-that of compulsory service
to adapt that system to what
army officers regard as Ameri-
can needs and conditions. Should
events prove that sufficient
number of volunteers will not
come forward or public sentiment
undergo a change in favor of uni
versal military service, brief
amendment in the law would set
the continental army machinery
in motion with little delay to es-
tablish the citizen army of the ma
ton on that basis.
Regulations contemplated by
the trainers of the plan to put the
continental army project into eff
feet include the division of the
country into military divisions
corresponding generally to the
present congressional districts.
Each military district would be
called upon for 1913 recruits an
In the event that COM
pulsory service is decided upon,
it is said, the. only action neces-
sary would be to authorize the
war department in any year when +
the quota of recruits from any
district has not been made up
voluntarily by predetermined
date, to draft the necessary men
for that purpose from the popu- ,
lation of the district liable for
service.
Advocates Of the administra-
tion plan say that 100000 men
with the colors and 100000 re-.
serve proposed to be produced
within six years will not consti-
tute force adequate to the needs =
IF the nation, and they do not
that the proposed two
months of intensive training a
year for three years is sufficient
o make a soldier.
As a matter of fact, they do not
believe it possible to secure more
han thirty days training annu-
lily under a purely volunteer
ystem.
1t is an open secret that the
,lan is regarded by its trainers in
is present form as more of a pre-
'aratory measure than anything
lse, paving the way to a decision
" the people at large for univer.
al service and establishing i'm
lediately the correct fundament-
| principles that must underlie
ny proper military system.
hat conclusion must be reached.