New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-04
4 Plan for Concen.
trating the Mill.
tarv Training of
Citizens in
States and
Cities
Iv CHARLES P. TOWER.

-sr. OF the public In respect TO matter
"a. NAV be under discussion and on
,,li,b action may be pending. Once or
.v5ce in A generation perhaps they may
= justified in taking action that is con-
,-arv TO such sentiment because Of wider
knowledge Of the matter and Of the oppor-
,r,itv 10 study conditions without haste
q, sycjtement. but usually when Congress
-,ss against the sentiment Of the public it
!, becsuse the members are needless, or are
risled BY that portion Of the people at
l,rce who are most vociferous. And evil
.,rcs accumulates that when Congress re-
,used 70 give the country volunteer army,
!, addition 10 and separate from the regu-
l,r army and the national guard, it failed
n comprehend the sentiment Of the people
!, respect TO the military defence Of the
nstion. -,
When It's considered that several hundred
thousand men have placed themselves on
record. either by becoming members Of one
ormore Of the defence or security organiza-
,ions. such as the American Legion or the
National Security League, or by engaging
~ military drill, under such instructors as
thew have been able 70 secure, and aside
from the national guard and the summer
training camps, it is easily seen that the
American people want something more IN
me vav Of military protection, or mill
,arv preparedness. 70 use the phrase that
has become familiar of late, than is fur
rjsbed or can be supplied by a regular
army Of about two hundred thousand men
and national guard Of approximately
twice that number.
It has become known during the last two
or three weeks that many thousands OF
men who have never before handled rifles
or marched in column of fours are taking
urinary instruction in military drill They
are giving one evening a week TO the work,
asa rule.
The Potential Volunteer Army.
They have taken as drill masters any
men who have shown that they know some
hing. even if not a great deal, about sol
dering.o and are hoping for something
better in the future. While these men
can devote one evening week to drill
most Of them cannot give up month OF
more Of time in summer to the training
esnps that are conducted under the sane
ton Of the War Department, and most OF
them are ayerse TO joining the national
guard. for one reason or another.
Here is a potential volunteer army; one
Of no small number even now, and one
that nav easily be recruited up into the
hundreds Of thousands, and many men who
are more or less wise in military matters
are giving attention to the problem of con-
verting this potential body into an actual
amy. fl TO put up a real defence for the
country in time Of need. What is to be
done 70 keep alive the interest IN military
training that is now active, and growing
when the "setting-up" drill, the manual OF
arms and the marching in column Of tours
or by company front, in an armory or
hall or on the street in front of the hail.
become matters of routine, and no longer
Of real interest in themselves? Where are
to be found the men capable Of teaching
the volunteer rockies" something more
Of the work Of soldier? And how may
these small groups Of men, scattered all
over the country, be welded into a COM
pact body Of effective fighting men?
Elementary Training First.
OF course the training that these irreg-
ular volunteers are taking is that Of the
infantry soldier, and it is well that II
should be; partly because infantry forms
the greater part of any army; partly be-
cause infantry drill is the easiest Of
all forms Of training, both to give and
10 receive. and also because very little
in the way Of material equipment Is
required, as compared with what is nee
essary in other branches Of the army
Equally, Of course, proficiency in any de
gree is valuable so far as it goes, and is
step toward the end 10 be achieved. The
soldier will have little use for the manua
N+ etnS IN lne lISHChto, NV -
with it will enable him TO handle his rife
efectivly. Nor will the soldier march II
step in column Of tours in front Of ar
enemy, but if he has been trained so Il
march, ne will the more readily act II
unison with his comrades at any word Of
command. Therefore, nothing is amiss, ne
natter how elementary it may be, in the
way Of military drill, but unless the inter
est is maintained, and unless the physica
condition Of the men is kept up by steady
orIll and exercise the work the irregu
lar volunteers are now doing will 90 fol
nothing.
Two things are necessary; TO put i
more emphatically, the need of them is i'm
peratlye. One is instruction Of higher
v'oer and Of much wider scope than what
me men are now receiving, and the Other
= something in the way of an organizs