The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-01-01
step T0WARDG SERVICE
WAR DEPARTMENT BELIEVES
TIME is COMING WHEN ALL
MUST SERVE ARMY.
II British Fail With Volunteer System,
CompulsiOn May be Introduced In
Connection With Continental Army
in This Country.

Washington, Dec. 2S.--Great Brit
aims effort to carry on the war with
out resort to conscription is being
anxiously watched by the American
war department. Army officers say,
the United Kingdoms situation
touches at the root of conditions the
United States faces in carrying out
the administration army increase pro-
gramme.
If Great Britain decides for con-
scription. high officials said today, a
long step will have been taken to-
wards the time when universal SER
vice will be generally accepted in the
United States as a national necessity.
If Great Britain goes on with voiun-
teers. American officials feel that
nothing short of a great military de-
feat would bring the United States
to universal service. Entirely aside
from its part in the European war,
officials believe the question of
whether service with the colors in
time of need shall be legally recog-
nized duty of citizenship is Of vital
Importance on this side Of the Allan
tic. The virtually unanimous. opin-
Ion OF. the commissioned, personnel
and the civil officers Of the war de-
partment is said to be that adequate
preparedness can be secured only on
the basis Of universal military SER
vice.
While Secretary Garrison has made
no public declaration of his own opin-
ion, Assistant Secretary Breckenridge,
who frequently serves as his chief
spokesman, has clearly indicated in
public utterances adherence to the
belief that universal service is the
only fair and democratic solution to
the military problem of the nation.
Signs are not lacking that the mill
tary committees of congress. will be
formally acquainted with this view at
the coming hearings. either by the
secretary himself or by an authorized
spokesman. It is understood, how
ever. that the department will urge
that the vital thing is to put through
at the present session definite
statement Of military policy and cre-
ate machinery for organization of q
citizen army. volunteer to begin with,
but based ultimately on universal
service. Department officials are un-
willing to see the fate of their policy
jeopardized by tying It up with the
universal service Issue which may be
well disposed of after the policy has
been written. te W.,
The administrations continental
army plan, it was learned authorita-
lively tonight, is designed to operate
with either the volunteer or the uni
versal service system. iIt was framed
with the Swiss system as a model and
lacks only one featureLthat Of COM
pulsory service--to adapt that sys-
tenn to what army officers regard as
American needs and conditions.
Should events prove that a sufficient
number of volunteers will not come
forward or public sentiment undergo
a change in favor Of universal mill
tary service. a brief amendment in
the law would set the continental
army machinery in motion with little
delay to establish the citizen army of
the nation on that basis.
Regulations contemplated by the
trainers of the plan to put the con-
tinental army project into effect in
clude the division Of the country into
military divisions corresponding gem
orally to the present congressional
district, Each district would be called
upon for 333 recruits annually. In
the event that compulsory service
were decided upon, it is stated. the
only action necessary would be to
authorize the war department in any
year when the quota Of recruits from
any district had not been made volun-
tarily by predetermined date. to
draft the necessary men for that pur-
pose from the portion of the popula,
tion of the district liable for service.
Advocates Of the administration
plan say that the 100000 men with
the colors and 100000 reserve pro-
posed to be produced within six wears
will not constitute force adequate
to the needs of the nation, and they
do not contend that the proposed two
monhS' intensive training a year for
three years is sufficient to make a SOL
dier. AS a matter of fact they do
not believe it will be possible to Sc
cure more than 20 days' troir;n-