The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-09-15
SECURITY LEAGUE
URGES TRAINING
This Organization 10 Trying to chow
People Of America How Neees-
say This Eduea-
ton Il.
EXPERIENCE or OTHERS
Switzerland and Australia Are Pointed
Out AZ Examples Of Countries
Which Arc
Ready.

Which Arc
Ready.
The following Is being sent out
from the National Security leagues
headquarters:
The experience of the war depart
ment in connection with the mobiliza-
ton OF the national guard overwhelm-
ingly demonstrates the fact that ade-
Quate defense for this country in the
future rests upon universal military
training and service. The National
Security league, anticipating this out
come, reasserted some two months
ago through its executive committee
that universal military training and
service WIS the first of the cardinal re-
quirements for adequate preparedness
and pledged its earnest efforts to Sc
cure the adoption OF the system. The
enactment by congress of the naval
program contained In the senate bill
fnsures a much larger degree OF naval
defense than has been possible in the
past, but even the new ships when
constructed would not be able to eff
fectively guard our entire coast. SO
that national security must rest upon
the citizen soldiery which the league
now proposes shall be established.
It's campaign to that end, 1t an
nounced today, Is already under way.
Fortunately, the national guards
men on the border were not called in
to action. The extent OF this good
fortune can be realized in the state
ment that not 15 per cent of the ma
tional guard now on the border was
ready for service when It arrived there
and that only about one-third OF the
men in camp were members Of the
national guard when the call was
issued by the president. The physical
examination to which the guardsmen
we're subjected by federal officers
very largely reduced the original per.
sonnet and inasmuch as very few OF
the regiments were even at their mini
mum peace strength, the ranks have
been filed up by raw recruits. It
has been impossible to carry out the
original plans for the formation Of
twelve divisions Of militia and there
is shortage Of field artillery, cavalry
and auxiliary troops in all Of the
skeleton divisions with the exception
OF New York.
SWISS System Urged.
In the future, II this nation Is to
have land force upon which It can
rely for defense, that force must be
made up OF men trained and equipped
under a system such as has been de-
veloped in Switzerland and Australia.
The work Of educating the American
people to realization OF this fact
is being undertaken by the National
Security league through the distri-
button of literature bearing upon the
subject. It is being shown, in the
first place, that universal military
training is not at variance with the
principles OF our government. but that
from the days OF Washington down
to the present time everyone who has
had to do with our national defense
has insisted that universal training
and service Is the only foundation
upon which the future Of this re-
public can securely rest. 1t was
Washington who said that "a free
people ought not only be armed but
and Thomas Jefferson,
recognized as the founder and patron
saint Of the democratic party, said
that the country could never be safe
until military instruction was made a
regular part of collegiate education
and that every citizen be made a
soldier. Madison and Monroe ut
tered the same sentiments at time
when this republic was In the max
ing.
Sacrifice Follows Lack.
Lack OF universal military training
has meant enormous sacrifice of lives
and money in every war in which we
have engaged. In the revolutionary
war our forces numbered $4,000 as
against 10000 Of the enemy. while In
the war Of 1912 we opposed $1,000
men with $4,000 OF our citizens. In
the war with Mexico We had twice
as many men In the field as the
Mexicans. Every historian Of the
civil war agrees that that struggle
would not have been SO prolonged II
the men engaged had had preliminary
training.
Neither Switzerland nor Australia
are military nations and yet it was
Switzeriand's ability to promptly
men with guns in their hands and the
hAOwicueC VI uOW " use tucIu Iudl
saved Switzerland from invasion.
Australia affords additional emphatic
evidence of the success OF the system
to which the prime minister OF that
refers cas- the. corner
stone of our democratic edifice." I'VE
believe. says the prime minister.
that there is but one way by which
a nation, being free, can remain so.
and that is that every man shall not
only be wiling to defend his country
but be abe to do So"
There is no question that universal
training and service is now regarded
from a much more friendly point of !
view than was possible even a year
ago. The experience OF England has
not been lost upon this country while
the publicity given through the press /
o. the conditions connected with the
border mobilization have made thou |
sands of converts among mef who
until recently had given no thought |
to this important question. One OF |