The Washington herald., 1916-05-31
Universal Military Training.

However right wrong Theodore Roose-
welt has been or still is various public ques-
tions, viewed by people from different angles,
"a large number-it may be large majority-of
the people of this country believe him to be
right the subject OF preparedness and its
coroary, universal military training. The latter
lis not quite subject Nearly all the States
of the Union have one or more military schools
under State supervision, while in addition to
the city high schools numerous private acade-
mics and colleges have their cadet. corps with
government military instructors, all, of course,
under voluntary system of training. And now
the sentiment and spirit of military training for
not only the youth of the nation, but for men
of mature age, has become widespread and is
growing rapidly. 1t would be no great sur
prise to hnd presently, that the training has
become well nigh universal, even under the
voluntary system.
This is the to be wondered at perchance,
because only within short time-less than a
year or so-when even the question Of compul-
sorry military training has been mentioned any
where, there have been protests and much talk
in legislative assemblies and in certain news
papers, that "the American people would never
stand for it." 1t was asserted that any law of
Congress a State legislature making such a
provision would be nullihed, become a dead
letter." that it would be against "the spirit of
our institutions" "violatve of individual liberty
"antagonistc to the Constitution itself" etc.
ringing in all the old favorites of the stump.
No such law, "enslaving American citizens, fond
of freedom, would be tolerated by the people,
Ietc.
1t is within the memory of men yet living
that this brand of talk was rife when it was at
first proposed to make attendance at the public
schools compulsory; when truant officers were
appointed to hasten "thc whining schoolboy, with
his satchel and shining morning face, creeping
like snail unwlngly 10 school" But common
sense and patriotism overcame demagogy as
always in the end and compulsory education
became the undisputed law of the land. Col
Roosevelt and others with him. in their public
utteranCes, advocate compulsory education
in military knowledge-a sort of postgraduate
course to the common school. This they say
is as necessary for the physical and moral health
of the country's youth as the literary knowledge
gained in the public school OF being able to
read, write and cypher." and it will be Of as
much importance to the nation, they insist, as
the public school education.
Such education (mrtary), Roosevelt says,
would set them up physically. 1t would give
them knowledge of sanitation, of cleanliness.
They would learn regularity of habits abstinence,
obedience, self-respect and respcct'for others, a
much-needed discipline ior many of our young
men of today.
An amusing story IN London Punch relates
to young clod-hoppe- who returned home on
furough to his native village after few months
in training camp where he had enlisted. One
of his neghbors, startled at his appearance,
asked him what he had been doing to change
him WELL" said the young man, swelling
with pride, they took the hump off my back
and put it on my chest, and made me hold up
my head and look yer in the face" In brief, mill
tary education takes a clown and trains him
into self-respecting manhood