The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1916-02-21
HIS PAPER REPRESENTED FOR FOREIGN
ADVERTISING BY THE
ARE YOU PREPARED?

preparedness is the most talked
of subject in the United States to-
day.
The present congress apparently
is disposed to pass legislation intend
ed to put the United States perman-
emily in a position to defend itself
successfully against possible inva-
sion by a first-class power.
Yet are you, Mr.. and Mrs. Citizen,
able to talk on the subject in an in
telligent manner?
Believing that series of articles
on preparedness and on plans of
other countries would be of interest
to the readers of the Daily Pioneer,
we have secured a series of articles
which were published in the Spokane
Spokesman Review, through Victor
F. Lawson of the Chicago Daily
News
This is the first time in a genera
ton that public sentiment has been
awakened to the need of defense
sufficiently to justify action by con-
gress along broad lines. This con-
dition of the public mind is, of
course, based on lessons taught by the
war in Europe. After that war ends
interest in preparedness" will i'm
mediately begin to wane and in a
few years public attention will be
centered on other questions, and the
opportunity for effective legislation
for a defensive program will be lost.
Hence it is highly important that
the action of this congress be on a
plan, the success of which is certain
While the proposed program for en-
larging the navy, increasing the
coast defenses and providing ammu-
milton supplies is generally approved,
the plan for continental army,
which promises on paper to furnish
eight hundred thousand. trained men,
is questioned by many of our lead
ing military authorities, because it is
dependent ON volunteers.
1t is thought by these authorities
that after the, excitement due to the
present war has passed the number
of these volunteers will fall off from
year to year, with a result that in
five or six, years we shall not be much
better off than we are now. For
this reason system of universal,
compulsory military training, similar
to the Swiss or Australian system, Of
fers many advantages. These ad-
vantages will be pointed out in the
articles to be published in the Daily
Pioneer.
An important point is that such
system once adopted will automatic
ally accomplish a permanent public
sentiment in favor of the continuance
and maintenance of an adequate naval
and coast defense policy with the
necessary ammunition supply. This
would be the case because several
million young men. would be in
training: or have had this training,
and eachaofa them would be of the do
ings of congress along these. lines.
Those far-seeing and patriotic
members of congress who. made it |
their business to work for continu-
ing policy Of adequate preparedness
in ships, Notifications and ammuni-
ton would, have the active backing |
of these millions voters in all parts
of the country who want to- be ade-
quately supported and supplied, with
ammunition if called out to fight an
invader.
Read the articles which will ap-
pear in the Pioneer; beginning today.
They advocate the Swiss system of
universal compulsory service: and
make clear it's many and, important
advantages, civil as we'll as military,
over the plan of voluntary enlistment
which has always sproved- "a costly
failure under any serious demand.
The first article today is entitled,
"Trained Swiss Citizen Army Num-
bers OO,OOO."