The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-10
The Value OF military Discipline.

nH'u INV T'tSonS LOT Ine Urgency OF
preparedness. now that he has pic
tured in eloquent and convincing
terms the unhappy reign vt might
over right rs cxcmplited In the IT,
tanic struggle Of Europe. the Con-
grcss must realize that weakness Is
not n theory but a condition 10 be
met at oncc with the utmost direct
ness of action. Shall we take counsel
Of contemporaneous history as 1t Is
being enacted before our own eyes
or adhere to the mossgrown ideas OF
yore, or adopt n middle curse by
achieving the ends Of protection
against the probable coming rule OF
power with the least sacrifice of lndi-
vidual liberty and OF the precious
ideals transmitted into our keeping
by a noble ancestry?
Various plans for meeting the issue
now squarely put before us have been
proposed, namely. n large increase of
the regular army increase Of the
number and efficiency Of the National
Guard n continental army made ef-
ficient by intermittent brief periods
of training extending over several
years and universal military service
devolving upon all males In proper
ply condition. similar to that of
Switzerland or Australia. That the
latter Is the choice Of our military
heads has been made plain enough
TO committees Of Congress and In
published statements.
Two able articles by Mr.. RAYMOND
FoSDICK in recent issues Of the Out
look discussing the value of real mill
tary training for the development OF
the highest and most ~scrviceable cit
izenship merit attention. The author
| points out that while our heritage of
freedom Is the more precious there Is
real danger in adhering to the belief
that discipline and regulation accord.
ing tn the German ideal have no place
in the life Of n free people. As Mr..
II. q. WELLS has aptly said. while
American life Is aggregated and cha-
otic. German life is evolved and or
ganized with n real and sustaining
conception The capacity Of the Ger
mans for team work is ascrihahle TO
their schools and army.
While Mr.. FOsDiCK expressed the
thought of every free American in
dcspising passive submission OF the
majority to autocratic leadership and
10 the mere Journalism OF military
training. he dwells with impressive
logic upon III" far reaching effects of
universal military service upon the
individual citizen, whom it teaches
the value of cooperation with his fell
lows. The recruit who comes raw
and unframed physically and men
tally to the army. emerges from II an
alert. snappy, outstanding soldier, not
"A mere cogwhecl. but part and parcel
destiny Of his country in peace and
war. Indeed he comes To regard him
self rs an individual who makes the
State. and he is for that reason will
ing t. live or die for it.
Our %antagonism to temporary sub
lection Of ri will 10 autocratic au.
thority * rooted in our noble tradi-
tions. But when we express disap
rroval Of the Germans for adhering
today Ia tn" feldalism of FREDERICK
the Great. We forget that we too are
guilty of adhering to-day to the po-
litical rreeds of the eighteenth CEN
fury. and of not realizing that undis.
cipllnrd, loosely organized democracy
may not withstand the onslaught of
II compact brotherhood inspired by
patriotism and welded together by
an iron discipline.
IN" value of military discipline Is
illustrated by the statement of "A Dis.
seliorf manufacturer who said that
organization is not difficult in Ger
man industries, because the men come
10 us mentally adjusted for our work :;
they seem to fall into their proper
places An American illustration is
furnished by n manufacturing con-
Germ in the middle West which m
died itS repeated failure to obtain
disciplined employees by the COSTLY
purchase Of discharges from the
United States army of one hundred
soldiers, whom they employed at an
increased rate of pay. These instances
serve 10 confirm the assertion of one
of ia" President business advisers,
that men who hav" honorably served
in III" army would be preferred as
employees in civil life.
W" hear II great deal about the
Nalu" of German efficiency, and the
evil m~ilitarism Is justly despised.
But that this Is sentimental rather
than logical Is evident from the won
dcrful efficiency displayed by the
French army, which is second only To
the German. We hear. however, no
complaint of French militarism.
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