The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1916-12-28

Washington.-Every sign points to
some sort of legislation bearing on uni
versal military training in the United
| States. And it is becoming more and
more apparent that there may be
more than one bill presented to con-
gress to provide for the establishment
of one system or another of military
preparation for the youth of America.
| Recently there has been more talk
of such legislation. Just how far the
American people will be willing to go
| In this matter not even the best judges
can possibly know.
President Wilson and various mem
| bers of his cabinet, not to mention
high officers of the army and navy,
are almost a unit in the opinion that
| the voluntary plan of obtaining re-
cruits has been, up to date, a failure
| and that some program OF universal
| military training will be best for the
country in the long run.
Various bills providing for universal
military training are in process OF
making. One is being whipped into
form by persons identified with the
Universal Military Training league,
whose headquarters are in Chicago,
but whose hackers know no state lines
and are not restricted by party or
sect. 1t will be some time before any
bill is in shape to go before the house
or senate, but, in the main, the princi-
pal features can now be presented.
Follow the SWISS Plan.
The idea seems to be to pattern the
United States plan after the Swiss
system of defensive military training
and preparation. Experts are laying
stress upon the difference between a
military training plan looking to the
defense of a country and one contem-
plating aggression. Some experts hold
that the Swiss plan is an ideal one
from a defensive standpoint and the
German system quite typical of one
concerned not only with defensive but
aggressive military measures.
Howard H. Gross, president of the
Universal Military Training league,
has just finished a visit in Washing
ton, where he conferred with numer-
Gus officials, including Secretary of
War Baker. Mr.. Gross is careful to
emphasize the Importance of con-
sentative system of military training
as against one that might invite Op-
position from persons who see mill
taristic DOGGY in every preparedness
suggestion.
'In Switzerland recently the entire
Swiss army, including all the re-
serves, was put on the Swiss border
within forty-eight hours" said Mr..
Gross. "The Swiss border minus
Swiss soldiers would have been quite
as inviting as the Belgian border had
been. In mountain pass and on plain
Swiss soldiers who had been accus-
toned to drilling and handling fire.
arm since boyhood were gathered by
the hundreds of thousands. Each
Swiss is what one would call in this
country a dead shot Mobilization of
| these dead Shots in short, spelled the
complete safety Of the Swiss republic
| from the warning nations of Europe.
| Switzerland, however, is not mill
taristic country, but quite the re-
verse;"
Every Lad to Train.
| AS outlined at present, one of the
bills providing for universal military
| training will contain the following i'm
portant items:
Every lad between the ages of eight
cen and twenty-three shall be subject
to military training unless he is phys
ically or mentally deficient.
| In the nineteenth year the boy must
go to the nearest training camp, where
he will be received by Uncle Sam and
| given several months of rigorous train
ing in military maneuvers, handling
of arms and the science of warfare.
| The next year the boy must also re-
port for similar duty, but his term
of training will not be so prolonged as
the first year.
Capable United States army and ma
val officers will be in charge, and the
boys will be taught discipline, obedi-
ence, care of their bodies, upbuilding
of the physique, camping-out meth