Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-02-17
KAHN URGES BASIC
Army Legislation
COMPREHENSIVE REoR GANIzA-
TIoN OF MILITARY SYSTEM
is NEEDED.
BELIEVES CONGRESS
WILL IMPROVE SERVICE
Predicts Legislation Calculated to
Make Possible Mobilization Of Large
Trained Force in Event Of War
Favors Short Term EnIistrnents For
Regular Army Service.
Especial Correspondence

Washington, Feb. 17.-In the opin-
ion of Congressman Julius Kahn, OF
California, ranking republican member
Of the house committee on military af-
fairs, this session of congress Is likely
| to see legislation which involves basic
and comprehensive reorganization Of
| the military system.
That is what Mr.. Kahn believes in
and that is what he thinks congress Is
| likely to enact. It will take time. He
does not expect the house committee
on military affairs to report for several
weeks. But he looks for comprehen-
! sive national guard legislation, import
ant regular, army legislation, legisla-
ton calculated to make 1t possible for
this country In event of war to mobil-
lie it's vast reserves of resources, en-
couragement for training In summer
camps and other steps to encourage
military development. Furthermore, he
thinks all this can be done withous
very great expense and with nothing
in the nature Of development toward
militarism.
Work Of Permanent Nature.
II hope to see good military legis-
| AAs~~AAAs
Il want it to be basic and comprehen-
sive, something that will afford US a
proper military system for years to
come. The military legislation hither-
to has been piecemeal. I would like to
see congress take hold at this time, go
to the bottom of the subject and sys-
temize it. ... ~,
Il expect to see comprehensive legis-
lation relative to the national guard.
The fact is. congress has hitherto neg
lected to use it's power to provide for
organizing and disciplining the mill
tia. If it uses that power, am salts
fled that a strong and we'll trained
force of guardsmen can be built up.
Then, we must look to our reserves.
We have a medical reserve corps but
in general We have given no adequate
attention to this subject of our reserve
forces. We need quartermaster's re-
serve. This would be almost indispen.
sable in war. We need to have such
an organization of our industrial forces
that if war should come we could make
use to the best advantage Of our rail-
roads, our automobiles, our factories
and so on. This should not be en-
trusted to chance but should be pro-
vided for by legislation.
Needs Of Summer Camps. @
"Then. hope to see something done
to encourage the summer camps, such
camps as the one at Plattsburg. I am
convinced that by the expenditure of
very little money. perhaps 100000,
we could bring about the training at
those camps Of large numbers of this
most intelligent young men of the
country. They would form an element
which would be highly useful in war.
The summer camps come at time
when many want to go on vacations.
The outdoor life would be attractive
I believe a great many Of men that
would have joined the continental
army had it been created would be
ready to take up the summer camp
training"
Mr.. Kahn thinks it possible thot thru
the summer camps, II congress will ar
range simply to pay the cost of uni.
forms, equipment, rations and trans
portation, a force Of trained men can
be secured which in several years
would rival the size of the proposed
continental army, for which congress
will not provide.
Short Term Enlistment Plan.
Then. there is the regular army.
w nat Is To De acne W1CI LIldI ( MI.
Kahn is believer in the short-term
enlistment and the building up of re-
serve based on the short term enlist
ment and he is more than ever con-
WINGED it is the right system. He has
little patience with the doctrine that
it takes several years to make SOL
der. He thinks that is all right for
officers who want to attend pink teas
and don't want to drill their men but
personally he has no doubt that two
years is ample time and that as to
large percentage of young men years
training is sufficient. Even less than
that, under some circumstances, as he
views it, will produce high grade sol
diers.
Such a program, plus proper faclli-
ties for turning out good, hard working
officers, and plenty Of good non-com-
missioned officers, the backbone Of any
army, Mr.. Kahn thinks, would meet
the situation. And as he views it, it
would not be within hundred miles Of
militaristic.