Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1916-07-21
States Senators And Congressman
For Military Course.

For Military Course.
Senators John Walter Smith and Blair
Lee favor universal military training as
national defense policy and will lend their
support TO the movement to establish such
a system in this country.
Mr. Smith said
81 have given great deal of study to
the question of universal training and
have read Senator Chamberlain's inter
view with much interest. ] agree with my
associate from Oregon that season of
military training for the youth of the land
would be of great benefit to them and of
incalculable value to the country. think
the discipline of military life would i'm
prove the character of many thousand
American boys and ! know that il would
help them physically and morally.
From purely military standpoint such
training as Senator Chamberlain has cham
pioned would not only provide the mate
rial for great reserve army, but il would
put our young men in a position to take
care Of themselves once they were called
TO arms. have not decided that this is
the best way Of providing a reserve army,
but have made up my mind definitely that
those Of our young men who may be called
upon to fight our future wars should know
enough about warfare to protect them
selves and render effective service.
Il would have it understood however.
that the universal military training which
! now approve as system would not i'm
ply obligatory service. am not in favor
Of compulsory service in the army for all
our young men. but think all of them
should have military training"
Senator Blair Lee is member of the
Senate Military Affairs Committee and has
been actively fighting in behalf of larger
militia. He discussed this in connection
with the universal training. The Senator
said
universal military training not asso-
cisted with any kind Of military service
is impracticable and delusive. In the
Swiss system. for instance. service and
training 60 together. or, in other words.
the man is trained in service and is
bound as a soldier to perform certain du-
ties. Today we have this difference being
illustrated in this country. The National
Guardsmen, who are bound by their oath
to render military service to the State and
the Nation when occasion requires. are
the President. Their military training is
being enormously improved by this expe-
rience. In the three months that they will
probably be on the frontier they will de-
velop as men and as soldiers and will
come home respected by their countrymen
and themselves and with military status
for the future Of high order.
ION the other hand, we have good
many thousand Of worthy men today in
military training camps both in the East and
in the West. where they are getting some
training but are not in military service.
In the first place. the position of these
men compared with that of the militia is
distinctly inferior. They are not real SOL
diers or serving in the spirit Of a soldier
and they are not bound to 60 up against
any risk for their country upon the order
of a President or Governor. The essence
of being a soldier is to be subject to COM
mand. as the essence of patriotism is to
be willing to give your time and your life.
II necessary, to the service of your country. ="
Members of the Maryland delegation in
the House Of Representatives believe in
the general principle Of military training
for boys and young men in order to equip
them to defend their country in time of
war. but they are divided on the question
whether or not the system should be COM
pulsory, according to statements made by
Representatives Talbot. Coady. Price, Lewis
and Mudd. Mr.. Linthicum. the sixth men,
Der, is in New York with the Committee on
Foreign Affairs.
Representatives Talbot and Coady favor
universal military training. They believe
it will help the boys and young men by
teaching them discipline in private and
public life as well as instructing them in
how to defend their country. Represen-
tative Lewis favors the idea II war is not
made the dominant thought Of the system.
Mr.. Lewis also expressed himself in favor
OF attaching colleges and universities to
army posts. so that the young men who
enlist can be given technical education
as well as instructed in the arts of war.
Representatives Price and Mudd believe
in the principle Of universal military train
ing for boys and young men, but do not
believe il should be made compulsory.