Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-02-01
HOW SHALL WE PREPARE?
By FREDERIC J. HAsKIN.

~HE American people seem to pretty generally
agreed the United States as nation is
= facing crisis and ought to prepare to meet it:
There sprung up large number or dlnerent
ideas how ought to prepare unless we can
upon method, result will be either COM
promise or nothing at all So it is for you to care
fully consider these different ways of getting ready
and decide which you going to support
place, there the pacifcists. These
ladies and gentlemen believe that we should prepare
our place international force by abol-
ishng the army and navy and meeting belligerents
with argument and persuasion This method is SIM
ple inexpensive and actuated by highest ideals
purely experimental and for this does
appeal majority of practical-mnded Amer
leans as a proper expedient In a Crisis
Those who agree best insure peace by
preparing fight much divided as to how we
should about it, All of them state that we shoulo
increase navy and there is only way to do this;
namely. by building more ships and manning them
When land forces, however, it is more diff
hcult to agree upon a method
To strengthen the regular army. would the
direct and the way increase our land
forces All advocates of preparedness agreed that
should the regular army, but to recruit
all of strength in this is impracti-
cable because of the tremendous expense. Half
million needed for the defense OF con-
tnental United States in Of To support
regular army of this size would be an unjustihabe
burden The regular army, therefore will be made
only large enough to police our overseas possessions
give a mobile force in continental America of
perhaps $4,000 men-enough to take care of internal
and border troubles.
This leaves about 100000 troops to be raised from
among the and it is here
the great differences of opinion become manifest
There are three principal methods by which these
troops might be raised namely, by introducing COM
pusory military service, by Strengthening the state
militia by using the present volunteer sys-
tenn, notifications, raise force of the re-
quired size in time of Each of these methods
strong backing. The latter is the socalled con-
tnental army plan which is being advocated by the
administration.
All military experts assert that compulsory MIL
itary service only effective to be prepared
for war and that the United States will never be
safe against until this plan is adopted The
abstract argument favor of compulsory service is
practically perfect you grant that the nation should
be defended at ALL For it must, then, be the duty
citizens defend it, and duty is essentially
compulsory wait until there is and then rely
practicable waiting until the country faces bank
ruptcy then calling upon volunteers pay
Compulsory service in this country would probably
that every able-bodied American male would
year of his life, probably the twenty-hrst
soldier, and would thereafter subject
call for military service. is estimated that
of compulsory service would give the
United States army Of from 100000 to million
men. Thus six months of compulsory service
which would be enough training make fair soldier
of a man, would probably give the necessary force
of four hundred thousand
The chief practical objection against this plan is
that it would away from industry
than were absolutely necessary for defense. This
objection could probably be largely overcome by in
telgent regulation. The real objection to the plan
the American people do not want it, At least