The sun., 1916-12-17
UNIVERSAL SERVICE
TO Be THRESHED OUT
Army Officers to Face Paci-
fists on Compulsory Drill
System.
GUARDSMEN TO TESTIFY
Senate Committee Will Make
Study Of Prevailing
Opinions.
GUARDSMEN TO TESTIFY

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-THE stage 10
being set in Washington for a thorough
discussion Of universal military training
a. the only means Of real preparedness
for war.
Secretary Of War Baker. Major-Gen.
Hugh L. Scott. Chief Of Stan. and army
officers may be given an opportunity to
express their views before the House
Military Committee within the next week
or 30. and certainly will DO asked for
their opinions by the subcommittee of
the Senate Military Committee. which
will hold hearings OF the Chamberlain
bill providing for compulsory training
and service.
Secretary Baker expects TO appear be-
fore the House Committee on Military
Affairs on matters pertaining to Wal
Department appropriations Monday. Mr..
Baker IL not opposed to the idea Of uni
versal military training. provided he Is
assured that this IL the only means for
providing the defence Of the country
which has so completely collapsed In the
Federalixcd militia plan. according to the
view Of tho army. lie hopes to await de-
velopments before reaching "A decision.
and will OF course be guided by The Pres
ident's view, which probably will not he
definitely matuied until the sentiment OF
the country has been ascertained.
But the Senate subcommittee contem-
plates making n comprehensive study OF
the whole question. and II the opinion OF
army officers prevails will call for the
testimony Of paciists. civilians and ene-
mics OF the compulsory service idea, as
we'll AZ National Guard officers and mill
tary experts In the regular army.
The belief In expressed In army cir
cles that the testimony of such men as
william ]. Bryan. Henry Ford n
David Starr Jordan should be obtained
and compared with the testimony Of
Aiajor-Gcn. Scott and his supporters.
The general idea of the hearings will be
to bring before tho country the various
solutions offered in the interests of real
military preparedness on tho assumption
that some sort Of preparedness Is admit
teddy necessary.
Particular stress Is laid on the i'm
p~ortancc OF testimony from officers Of
the National Guard. 1t Is said In army
circles that tho testimony Of militia Of
hcers will be found. almost without cx-
ception. to support the contention that
the Hay scheme for Fedcralizing the
militia has proved a failure and that the
only solution now lies In the plan for
compulsory service.
General stan officers will emphasize
their conviction that the United States
army at present Is a negligible quantity
20 far as defence of the country is con-
cerned. Such as II Is the regular army
il regarded as efficient m comparing
favorably to the European troops. but in
point OF numbers 1t is regarded as en-
tirely insignificant.
While preparing data for the com.
mittee on the mobile army OF the United
States one of the General Stan officers
was interrupted by a messenger. who
brought him some data sent in by the
bureau of military information. 1t per-
tanned to the casualties Of Russian on
GERS which have been recorded since
January I. 1916. The number OF dead.
wounded and captured Russian officers
since that recent date was Sc. 000-more
h a the entire mobile army Of the
United States.