The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1916-03-25
SWISS PLAN IS
NEEDED IN u. S.
WRITER DECLARES YOUTH OF
THIS COUNTRY REQUIRE AN
ORGANIZATION

Those persons Who shrink wt:t
alarm at the bare thought of equl-
ity of patriotic duty, as exempliiied
in ,he Swiss system of compulsory
training for national defense, make
the large mistake of assuming that
such service would handicap the ih
dividual and be an exhausting Dur-
dcI on the nation.
The converse of that is true. The
American people would find that
the :,,wiss system of nonmilitaris site
and popular preparation for nation
al defense and peace makes the in
dividual reservist more efficient in
industry and m and the ma
ton tremendously stronger and more
progressive. Even from Germany's
enemies the reluctant admission has
cen wrung that, with all the evils
of the German system of militaristic
.aste, it has contributed immense =
ly to the progress of that people In
all the arts and sciences of peace.
1t has taught them the incalcula5lc
value of organized thoroughness and
discipline.
The American peOp-e do not want
German militarism and army caste.
They should desire and they do need
a system modelled after the Swiss
or Australian plan. The Swiss sys-
TEN is intensely democratic. In a
republic like Switzerland or the
United States the people are the
government, and under the Swiss
system of moderate military train
!le of the country's youth the peo-
PIE Constitute the army of national
defense. To suggest the fear that a
defensive organization thus formed
could Cypress the people or endai-.
ger heir institutions is equiva-
lent To- he ridiculous fear that
the people N hit oppress themselves.
AS Vii said by a pamphlet pub
lished ry the navy league his
tory has yet to show that military
power has become an instrument
CT evil when controlled by a true
democracy" like that of Switzer-.
land or the United States.
We need, indeed. the Swiss sys-
TEN to strengthen and preserve the
spirit of democracy in the United
States. No thoughtful mind can
escape the reflection that we are
drifting here to cliques, that, survey
the national field IS we may, We
fi1d no broad ground of common
interest and contact where the
country's youth may. touch elbows
and absorb all other poitns of view.
Cohesive Influence Necessary
Tc bring directly home this
thought and fact. consider the
widely scattered interests of the
young men of Spokane. One group.
for instance, is represented in the
university club. Young men assem-
Die there who have had a college
course. Their thoughts, their as
sociations, their view OF life are
tinctured by the college influence.
The interests and activities of IA
other group center around the ath-
letic lub. OF yet arOther grodr
around the Y. M. G. A. building.
Yet another, though smaller group,
l.a interest and activity in ;he
national guard.
This gathering If interests is not
to :r 'eCried, MT it needs to h3
held IN icunds A cohesive n
riutrce s needed to ! - them Al
IN Gle broad, enlightening, poo /
lari:ing force. Search as we may
and strive as We might, we shall
rot find that FOND unless we de
cree by law that for a given period
each year, in a given period OF
years, every ab~le-bodied young
American around the age of 90
must turn his thoughts and action
to patriotic duty and preparation
for potential defense.
Dividing interests, the growth ~
cliques. the slow widening of the
riffs between the cliques, these are
he Influences that undermine dem
ocracy and endanger republics. 49,
Spokesman Review.