The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-12-08
Universal Training Only SOlu-
tiOn, Says Chief of Staff.
Volunteer, National Guard,
Tried and Found Wanting.
PLACE NATION IN DANGER
Less Than Half of Required
Number Rallied to COIOrs.
State Regiments Were $4,000
Below War Strength.

Washington. Dec, S.-The volunteer
military system again has proved it
self failure and should be relegated
to the past, declared Major General
Hugh L. Scott, chief of staff of the
army. in his annual report made pub
lie today Basing his conclusions on
the showing of the federalized nation
al guard, when mobilized for border
duty, and the fact that strenuous re-
cruiting campaigns for both the 'regu-
ulars and guardsmen have produced
negligible results, General Scott said:
In my judgment the country will
never be prepared for defense until
we do as other great nations do that
have large interests to guard; like
Germany. Japan and France, where
everybody is ready and does perform
military service in time of peace as he
would pay every other tax and is will
ing to make sacrifices for the protec-
ton he gets and the country gets in
returns. There IS no reason why one
woman's son should go out and defend
or be trained to defend another wo-
man and her son who refuses to take
training or give service. The only
democratic method is for every man
in his youth to become tr, -ined in or
der that ne may render efficient serv-
ice if called upon in war"
New Defense Act Inadequate.
Taking up the question of the ma
tional guard in its federal status, Gen
cral Scott declares the training period
Of rs days in three years provided by
the new National defense act is wholly
inadequate.
I'm my Judgment Re says, sit pre-
cludes this force from being made fit
for war service until it has received at
least six months additional training n
time of war.
The report refterates the opinion
that it takes a year of intensive train
4 hot
the country and congress appear to
have a vital misconception of the facts
in this regard. Unless the federalized
euard which congress substituted foE
the citizen volunteer army advocated
by the general staff can be given
greater training General Scott says the
country faces a serious situation
Can't Get Recruits.
"And it is very doubtful he con-
tinued." if we will be able to do so
and keep the force recruited. The
difficulty that is now being expe-
regular army and for the National
Guard in service On the border raises
sharply the question OF whether we
will be able to recruit the troops au-
thorized in the national defense act"
In spite of the fact that the pre-
paredness agitation stimulated interest
while the effort now being made to
bring the border forces up TO war
strength, General Scott asserts. three
months of recruiting left many nation
guard units still below minimum
strength Every effort was made to
get the men, he saws. a house to house
canvass being conducted in some sec
tions.
'"The failure says the report
should make the whole people realize
that the volunteer system does not
and probably will not give us either
the men we need for training in peace
or for service in war"
rs Per Cent Green Men.
General Scott gives at length sta
tistfcs on the national guard mobiliza-
tion available when his report was
written. September 80. He shows that
in eleven states with 16,6o0 enrolled
guardsmen, at the time of the CALL
more than 10 per cent failed to re-
spond and 20 per cent of the re-
mainder could not pass required phys
ical tests, making the force 43 per
cent raw recruits when it went to the
border Brought up to war strength.
he says, the force would have been IS
per cent green men and useless for
war purposes for many months.
An aggregate force of 151.096 off
GERS and men of the guard were mus
tered into the federal service under the
call and about 110,957 were on the
border a month and a half after the
call was issued. The general COM
mends highly the efficiency of the
railroads in handling the mobilization.
Turning to recruiting in the regular
army the report says that the service
was 29,130 short of its authorized
strength on August 81 last. Between
March Is, when congress authorized
bringing the army up to war strength
by adding 10000 men and August 81,
only S,463 additional men were en-
rolled.