The Washington times., 1916-12-08
SCOTT DEMANDS
GENERAL SERVICE.
Chief of Staff In Annual Report
Declares Volunteer System
Complete Failure.
cRITIclsEs STATE TROOPS
Mourns Lack of Patriotism
Among Young Men OF the
United States. i
cRITIcfsEs STATE TROOPS


sorry service.
tits the first move In a determined
campaign which the army will pur.
sue during the present sessions OF
Congress. despite the fact that Secre-
tary Baker does not indorse 10.
Army officers count on public opIn-
ion TO assist them after IL is shown
that the present system OF federaliz-
cd militia has proved complete
failure.
BASIS Of Conclusions.
General Scott bases his conclusions
on the showing of the fedcralized Ma.
tionai Guard when mobilized for bor-
der duty, and tho fact that strenuous
recruiting campaigns for both the
regulars and guardsmen have proS
duced negligible results.
Cereal SCOTS report. which repre-
sents the Views Of the general stan,
created n sensation, since II was ac-
cepted as an open challenge TO Con-
Eres, that, IN the view Of the "a army.
tional defense act is not sufficient TO
provide the military system army
chiefs believe is imperativeiy do
The report contains scathing critl.
clsm OF the national guard system.
hints at n dccadcncc OF national pa.
triotism through failure of the recent
y sns m spa 10 MAR TO Sf and md
insists that II IL vital the national
idea with reference to military service
be regenerated.
Attacked with yigor.
The following epigramatic para.
graphs from General Scott's report
show strikingly the heat with which
the present system was attacked and
tho universal service plan was urged;
Thousands marched In prepared.
ness parades to the plauditH OF on.
lockers. But when the militia was
called out In June to protect our Dor
"For our small army we 40 into the
labor market for recruits. There II no
appeal 60 patriotism. no sppssl, for
training as the highest duty OF his
citizenship! Enlistment In held out rs
n Job.
Hiring soldiers "RepuEnast.-
"we hire police. we hire nremen.
hut there is n repugnance TO the Idea
that we must continue TO commit our
selves to no military resource other
than that OF hiring citizens to accept
military training.
at would seem that the seifreliance
OF the individual, like that OF the
states, had given way to dependence
upon others"
'sThe fine volunteer spirit OF the
states was injured In the demand for
Federal pay In time OF peace. IL sound.
cd the kneil OF patriotic military train
ing for individuals, and commercial
lied the highest duty that a state can
demand from its people.
I'VE have fallen away from the
teaching OF the fathers. for there IL
no longer instilled into our people the
fundamental doctrine that every man
owes a military as well as civil obli'
cation TO his government
Equal Responsibilities.
at IL fundamental with a free peo-
pie that equal opportunities and pro
lection under the law brings equal re.
sponsibiiity In UNFOLDING and main
tanning the law. Each owes To the
body polite his duty not only In civil
affairs, but also In the defense of the
nation.
Universal military training has
been the cornerstone upon which has
been built every republic In the his
tory ofthe world. and Its abandonment
the signal for decline and obiitera'
ton"
System L. Criticised.
Criticism OF the militia In the Scott
report - not directed TO the individ'
ual, but TO the system. In recon-
mending TO Congress last year an
army OF 100000 regulars and reserves
and a citizen soldiery OF 100000. the
general stan urged that these latter
should be given nine months mill
tary training In time OF war and three
months additional training on or be.
fore the outbreak or war before they
would be prepared for war service.
General Scott said that reports from
eleven states, fAom which complete
lsturns were received, show that OF
1850 men on the rolls when the Mex
lean service call was Issued, ~ per
cent either failed to respond or We're
found physically unfit, reducing the
Total TO I0,4s4 officers and men,
To these were added 1850 RECRUITS,
This made 81 per cent or the force
ing, and AZ per cent with no training
at all. IL these organizations were
recruited up TO war strength of l5O
men to a company there would be ~
per cent OF unframed men. Comment
ing on this and continuing criticisms
OF the guard. the Scott report says;
System Too Expensive.
"The conclusion Is obvious that Il
IL a very expensive military system,
which Is no, sooner called into ser
vice than the department is inun,
dated with requests for discharge OF
individuals, and Congress Is called
upon to make provision for families
left behind" e
Recruiting campaigns to fill up
these gaps failed, General Scott cit
ing one instance where recruits In
New York cost the Government $40
each.
In spite OF the sweep OF patriotic
sentiment, marked by the prepared
ness parades and eliminating In the
adoption of legislation doubling the
size of the army and quadrupling the
size of the militia. with the largest
naval increase in the history of the
country, recruiting was found so diff
cult that militia modified to protect
the lives of American men, women,
and children" could not be raised in
some instances even to minimum
peace strength, and the regular army
could not be recruited TO the maxi
mum peace strength.
"The failure should make the whole
people to realize" General Scott con
tinued, that the volunteer system
does not and probably will not give
us either the men we need for train