New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-21
Hiram Bingham, Peruvian
Explorer, Pleads for Uni
versal Service in u. S.
POINTS IDEAL PLAN
IN YALE REVIEW
Declares Pork Barrel" Measure
Is Not True Preparedness
for America.

Uncle Sam in his present state OF
unpreparedness is likened to huge,
good-natured giant, fat and prosperous,
who desired nothing so much as to be
allowed to bask in the sunshine and
avoid quarrels with his neighbors' by
Hiram Bingham, the Peruvian ex-
plorer. who writes in the July number
of THE Yale Review" plea for uni
versal military training for American
youths.
Mr.. Bingham denounces the Hay
Chamberlain army reorganization bill
as purely pork barrel measure and
demands Of Congress that it heed the
voice of the people and enact law
providing for continental army.
"Will any member Of Congress en-
plain how the United States Army is
going TO be made nearly three times
its present size" he asks. when it has
been practically impossible 10 keep the
present little force recruited up to full
strength? Perhaps some members know
it cannot be done. Congress is going
10 tell us that it has done its duty 70
the nation by increasing the standing
army; and when we find that the stand
/ ing army is not very much bigger than
il was before as we are likely to hnd
so long as wages are high and there is
no great body OF unemployed-Con-
gress will tell US that American citi-
zens are not patriotic because they are
mot becoming recruits.
= Service Too Long.
AIN answer 10 this, why not look at
the root of the evil? When a man
Joints the standing army ne enlists
for seven years, the first three Of which
must be with the colors.
"If the period OF enlistment were re-
duced to one year; if the regiments
were composed OF men from the same
locality, so that a man might be sure
Of getting into a regiment composed
of men from his own state, where the
esprit de corps would be kept up by local
friendships and acquaintance both be-
fore and after enlistment; il care were
taken to see TO il that the year OF ac-
tive service was unquestionably made
GOOD for both body and mind, so that
when men came home from il they were
better men in every way than they
were before then | believe there would
be no difficulty in securing recruits and
/ in making the army of whatever size
was needed. Furthermore, If the citi-
zens found that their sons came nome
/ from year in the army sounder men
/ physically and more alert mentally,
: there would be no question about pro-
viding enough regiments and enough
/ euuipment 20 meet the needs or those
who cared 10 enlist.
Every Citizen Should Serve.
/ "Now. what is the fundamental thing
we need? To my mind, it is an efficient
citizen soldiery based on universal mill
tary training. | believe that every able
bodied citizen should have at least one
years military training or ITS equiva-
lent. This equivalent might well take
the form of joining the militia or enter
ing the collegiate military companies
such as one finds in the state unlver-
sites. Or il might even take the form
of three months in camp each year, be-
ginning at the age OF eighteen. Suen
compulsory training is actually no more
of hardship than to spend, rs every
American must, a certain numoer OF
years in going TO school.
IF | am correctly Informed, when
athletics began TO take root and the
necessity of gymnasiums began to be
preached, not so very many years ago,
a cry went up that we were sacriiicing
the development of the spirit 10 the
DEVELOPMENT of the body. The old
motto, Mems ssna in corpore sano,
had been forgotten. The great ma
jority of the American people were
aghast at the thought that institutions
OF learning, founded to develop the
mind and TO train leaders in spiritual
affairs, should give their sanction to
the training of the body and the deVel-
opment of material health. To US 10
seems almost incredible that our grand
parents looked sskanoe at physical
training and felt that the soul of man
was thus being sacrificed TO the devel-
opment of his bestisl. animal nature.
To- day, even though we may sometimes
deplore the tremendous enthusiasm
aroused by intercollegiate athletics,
there is no one who would wish to
abolish college or Y. NJ. c. A. gymna-
sums. We have learned that the de-
velopment of mans body gives him
/ strength Of mind and self-control.
Swiss Army a Model.
ut is objected against universal mill
itary training that II leads 70 mllitar-
,sc, Tba haSis of this argument is the