The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-12-22
VOLUNTEER SYSTEM
DECLARED FAILURE
Chief of Staif and Predecessor in That
Office Unite in Urging Adoption
of Plan to Give Country Large
Force of Trained ReserTists.

Washington, Dec. 1S.-The mobill-
zation of the National Guard for bor
der service was described as mill
tary failure emphasizing the urgent
necessity of abandoning the volun-
j teer system as the nations reliance
for defense, in statements today by
Mai. Gen. Hugh L. Scott, chief OF
staff of the army, and Mai. Gen. Leon
ard Wood, commanding the Eastern
department, before the senate sub
committee considering the Chamber
lain universal military training bill.
Both of the generals advocated uni
versal training. Gen. Wood declared
that the country now was utterly de-
fenseless against we'll organized foe;
that the mobilization was tragedy
and that if the guardsmen had met
good troops they would never have
known what hit them" Gen. Scott
! told the committee that lessons drawn
from the present war proved that in
case of war with q first class power
the United States would need imme-
diately a trained force Of 100000
men. with another 100000 available
within 80 days.
On the other side Of the question
the committee heard Walter L. Fisher
of Chicago, former secretary Of the
interior, who opposed universal Ser
vice, though he stood for adequate
defense measures and suggested
regular army Of half million. ae
thought if the pay Of privates were
raised to $50 a month the service
Gen. Scott told the committee today
would be more attractive to recruits.
that the army general staff recon-
| mended without apology that the VOL
unteer system be discarded because
J 'sthe time has come when this coun-
try, unless it intends to avoid war at
; any cost must resort to universal
liability to military training and SER
vice."
For Universal Training.
Terming the volunteer system eX-
travagant, inefficient and dangerous,
the chief Of staff told the committee
| that universal training would be
democratic, relia BILE, efficient. and
economical, and within few years
practically would render the United
! States immune from attack.
'It would be democratic" he said,
because the burden of national de-
fense would fall equally upon all citi-
I zens. 1t would make it Impossible
for any man or group of men to trade
upon the nations necessities in time of
war. The system would be reliable
because it would produce each year
! the number of men necessary to be
trained. It would be economical be-
cause it would be based upon recog-
milton by the people of the duty OF
the individual to render personal ser
vice and in carrying it into effect the
government would not have to COM
pete in the labor market. 1t would
be efficient because it would enable
US to prepare adequately for war be-
I fore war comes"
Gen. Scott pointed out that the
4 Mexican crisis had failed to recruit
! many National Guard organizations
even to their minimum peace strength.
"The failure should make the
whole people realize that the volun-
! teer system does not and probably
will not give US either the men we
need in peace or for service in war.
said he. He declared that if Amert-
| can troops ever were to compete with
highly trained and splendidly discip-
lined forces they would require train
| ing and discipline equal to that OF
their opponents"
The lessons of the European war.
the general said, chad demonstrated
that a higher standard of training
and discipline we're required than was
popularity considered necessary be-
fore, and that most of the European
nations for that reason found they
could not develop them in less than
two years with the colors.
"It should be obvious said he.
"that 1872 hours training prescribed
| for the National Guard Is utterly In
! adequate to prepare this force fo-
! war service"
More Men Now Needed.
For war with a first class power
the general staff had previously esti-
mated that 100000 fully equipped
troops should be ready at the out
break with 100000 more available in
30 days. The general was now OF the
opinion that 100000 fully equipped
and ready troops should be available,
| with another 100000 to follow in 80
! days.
This is DUE" said he, ito the fact
that one of the powers involved IN
| the war, and whose territory ex-
tends the whole length of our North
ern frontier, has increased its army
from relatively small force to
strength approximately that of the
! 49,. o.o,< E,,ronoon DoWprS DUe