The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-27
SAYS UNIVERSAL
 :'FRAININC FOR 7 BOYS NECESSARY
Gen. Wood Praises Amend .l cd Bill to Solve De-
 fense Problem. {

Washington, Dec. Z1.-Ma3Or Gen. Leonard Wood iridorsed yesterday as economical and practical the Senate bill drawn by Senator Chamberlain of Oregon and amendedNby the Gen eral Staff of the Army, which. if en- acted, will require that all able-bodi- ed American boys, on reaching the age of IS, will have to undergo six months, intensive military training.
 Senator Chamberlain's bill, as amended," said General Wood, "of- fers an equitable, economic and prac- tical method of developing promptly afreasonably a we'll trained citizen sol- diery2 under Federal control. After one years operation, should a need arise, such as caused the recent call of the militia, the duty would be. per formed by young men without busi- ness or family obligations. In case of a war, not calling for all of many yearly classes, there would be no widows. and orphans, and hence, pen sions only for the disabled.
 !" Briefly, it calls for six months in tensiye training, (which may be re- dtlced to two months for those w1o have pursued a course of military training in schools), of all able-bodi- ed youths. of good character the year they become 18. It provides a simple system of registration using existing government departments. It ,prohi- bits avoidance of the obligation by payment of substitutes.
 fs'It insures attendance by rich and poor alike or prohibiting the employ nlent, either by the government or by ptivate persons, of any. man over IS who has not certificate of service or of exemption. By extending the provisions of the National Defense act as to employment of reserve off, cefs and soldiers, it provides such ne- cetsary instructors as cannot be spar ed from the reguar rarny. It author izes the President to organize the trained youths into tactical units, and to call them to the co1ors in case of need.
 Defense Assets Would Be Increased.
 'In, some respects. notably the ex- einptions, the conditions under which the. call can be made, the power to make a careless youth repeat his course of training, the provision of additional general staff officers to su- pervise and co-ordinate, Senator Chamberlain's bill is better. If we had the instructors and the arms and equipment. Senator Chanlberlain's plan for universal training, beginning at 12 'yeafs of age. followed by this later 7 training, would produce a stronger and better disciplined race. But for the present the amended plan Is the more practical and will enable us to concentrate on what is the most pressing need.
 ",fhs plan will not produce such = ~~.>> < AL = H-. aggressive campaign of conquest. Its adoption. however, would result in so increasing our available assets for de- fense. as, to. make any aggressive na- tion hesitate about trespassing too far upon our rights and policies
 Tn answer to the question. What does such training as is proposed amount to?' General Wood said:
 ''Six months intensive training un- der conditions where the mems at- tantion Is devoted wholly to military work. Is equivalent to from one and q half to two years service in the United States Army under normal conditions. Tn criticising six months As being brief period the fact is Generally overlooked that intensive training is practically unknown in this country-tt1at not one officer in . hundred has ever attempted it or been engaged in 1t. There is very little of, it In our service. Indeed. it may be said that intensive training iS unknown in the American Army. It < isn't, the number of months of years . man spends in the army that makes him a trained soldier, but it is the \ number of hours of actual work un- der arms and instruction which he receives.
 How many people in discussing it speek in terms of years rather than hours of application? Wa will turn ss