The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-12-21
ARMY HEAD URGES
BIG j. S. FORCE
Maj. Gen. Scott Says America
Needs Army Of 1850, 900.
VOLUNTEER SYSTEM SCORED
Calls Compulsory Service Best Peace
nsurance-Senate Committee Told
Mobilization on Border
Was a Failure.

Was Failure.
Washington, Dec. I9.--Adv0cates
and opponents of a system of univer-
sal training for military service 10 re-
place the volunteer system as the
mainstay of the nations defense, had
hearing before the senate military
committee ON Senator Chamberlains
billy for universal training, which is
supported by the army general staff.
While representatives of organiza-
tons opposed to the bill, headed by
Walter l.. Fisher, former secretary of
the interior, gave their reasons for
opposing it, Major General Scott, chief
of staff of the army, detailed TO the
committee why the general staff con-
sidered the volunteer system wholly
broken down, inefficient and useless,
and urged that it be discarded for a
universal system of liability to train
ing and service.
Need Army Of 100000.
General Scott, disclosing much of
the army war college material, hith-
erto regarded as confidential, shows
that the army general stats now be-
lieves that instead Of 100000 available
men, which it considered sufficient as
q start to defend the country against
invasion, the country should have
100000 fully trained men at the be-
ginning of a war, with Il like number
ready to follow in so days. The
change is based on the development
of the British army, the organization
of great Canadian forces and the Brit
ish alliance with Japan.
With such force available, the
army general staff, General Scott said,
considers the United States practical
~ immune from such an attack as
military strategists believe might be
expected from the victorious set of
powers in the European war.
Mobilization Failure, Says Gen. Wood.
Major General Wood, commander of
the department Of the east, told the
committee nothing could have been
more pronounced than the complete in
efficiency of the recent militia mObiliza-
ton on the Mexican border.
Urging intensive military training
as the only means by which the Uni
ted States can procure much-needed
and adequate, national defense, Gen
eral Wood referred TO the Mexican
border militia mobilization.
"YOu have seen the result of the
! rnppDta D1nhiIizo tinn nf a militia ON
the border" said General Wood, who
had much to do with the work. at
was the most terrific and complete fail
ure ever attempted on that line. Moth
ing could be more pronounced than its
complete inefiiciency."
General Woods proposal was that
! every young man physically fit for
military service should be subjected
in his nineteenth year to six months
of/mtensive military training which
would be equivalent to about eighteen
months of training as now given in
the regular army. In his twenty-first
year such trained soldier would be
subject to call to the colorS, and in
that year should be subjected to at
least twenty days field service. At the
age Of twenty-nine years the term of
the trained citizen soldier in which he
would be subject to call in case of ma
tional emergency would terminate.
Under such II system General Wood
estimated that there would be trained
each year an army of 100000 men. and
hnf lANr hnI
service for eight years that there al
ways would be available after the first
eight years an army of 100000
trained men.
Volunteer System Dangerous.
General Scott told the senate mill
tary committee that the army general
staff recommended, without apology,
that the volunteer system be discard.
ed because "The time has come when
this country, unless it intends to avoid
war at any cost must resort to uni
versal liability TO military training
and service"
Arraigning the volunteer system as
extravagant inefficient and dangerous,
tiit NllCI VI AOih lilC
that universal training would be demo-
cratic, reliable, efficient and economy
zeal, and within Il few years practical
ly render the United States immune
from attack.
1T would be democratic" he said,
because the burden of national de-
Tense would fall equally upon all citi-
zens. Ii 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. II would be economical be-
cause 1t would be based upon recogni-
ton by the people of the duty of the
individual to render personal service,
and in carrying it into effect the gov
eminent would not have TO compete in
the labor market. 1t would be eff
clent because it would enable us to
prepare adequately for war before
war comes"
At the outset General Scott pointed
out that the Mexican crisis had failed
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