The Washington herald., 1916-02-10

undertakings as the Panama Canal, the
| Congressional Libary and hsrbor anu
river improvements
Industrial Campaigns.
This nation can easily employ a few
hundred thousand men on profitable
works Of national portance under the
direction of our excellently well in
structed West Pointers.
Let the pay of this standing army of
peace be regulated according to the full
market value Of their services, graded
according to degree for laborers and
artisans, taking into consideration al
lowances for comfortable barracks and
a commissary that would attract a skilled
artisan. Divide the working period into,
say, one-quarter for military drill and
three-quarters for productive work Make
the conditions such that men OF all de-
grees Of skill would be attracted. Pay
officers who would be trained as en-
gtneers as much as engineers of the
same grade in civil life.
Furthermore. abolish the special mill
tary pensions and compensate for In.
juries received whether in peace or war
II we must have pensions let all the cttI-
zens be eligible, but first put army men
on the planes Of remuneration that pre-
vail in civil life.
| This would be a lesson for the world
and a strong defense and assurance
against war, without any heavy burden
on the producers. And It would be a re-
lease from the present inequItable pen.
sion system. On the other hand, a large
standing army Of consumers and wasters.
without honor. except when war comes;
a nation deprived of the productive work
tina; might be done by this army OF
! wasters.
Progress and Economy.
! Consider the economy of II. Bulk all
! the expenditures under contract for ma
/ uonal public works and buildings, irriga
ton works. forest conservation and har-
Dor improvements and the immense pros
/ pective savings through release from
! the present pension system and il
would seem that this army of peace.
| standing high in the respect Of the ma
! tion. and a tremendous power for ma
| tional progress, would be astonishing
! ly economical. 1t would be a standing
army of the type that Sherman and
Grant commanded in the West, an
army of invincible artisans differed
! by skilled engineers of the type OF
Gems. McCallum and Dodge, the rail-
road builders.
why follow in the path OF admit.
ted evil and economic waste? Let
America strike out powerfully and
J COuTdseOusly IN q new pain Whtch will
give pause to every aggressor and the
sooner bring about the time desired
of this nation when war shall be abol-
ished by international agreement
This nation is for peace"
If the officers in Mr.. Bullen's peace
army are to receive pay as engineers al
the rate Mr.. Frank Hedley puts on theil
services it will be some pay roll for Uncle
Sam to meet Mr.. Hedley. as manager
and chief engineer OF the subway and 1
roads in New York testified recently thai
he received some $4,000 a year for his
work besides the big royalties he gety
for his inventions used on the lines, ant
he thinks he is underpaid II every
colonel in the Bullen peace army got
$4,000 year, which would be about the
rank Hedley would hold, taxpayers would
find the pension burden a bagatelle ir
comparison.
| 1t was not always thus with Mr.. He'd.
ley. He Is an excellent engineer and a
self-made man, and more power to him
Doubtless he is worth $4,000 a year tC
the New York trafic lines. In these
days, when everybody talks In millions
1t does not seem much. Mr.. HedIey is a
photographer and was for years on the
Photographic stan OF the New York
Herald. He did not get $4,000 a year
but he was a good news photographer
just the same.