Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-05

tive proposition for discussion in com
mittee and will probably amend it be-
fore il is up for consideration in the
Senate. What the Association for Ma
ton Service is seeking is an expression
from the people to the adoption OF
safe national military policy.
What the country should do in deal
ing with this question is to go back
TO the doctrine of the founders of the
republic" says Lieut.. Gen. S. B. NJ.
Young ommander-in-chief of the
Loyal Legion. governor of the National
Soldiers Home and president of the
Association for National Service.
Provided in Constitution.
Strange as it may seem. those who
have not given this problem serious
thought do not realize that compul-
sorry military service is provided for
in the Constitution of the United
States. nor do they realize that sys-
tenn of national military training will
not increase the citizens liability to
serve.
Congress tomorrow could pass
resolution calling every citizen into
military service without regard to age
or physical condition. The trainers OF
our Constitution realized that this au-
thority is inherent in every govern
ment. We could not have a nation I'M
its citizens to its defense. A country
that does not recognize this funda-
mental principle is not a nation but
a conglomeration of people.
Having firmly migrated into the
Constitution the principle that it is the
duty of the citizen to defend the state.
the fathers of the republic took steps
to prepare him for the efficient dis
charge of this duty. This was done
by the old militia act, which provided
that every able-bodied citizen between
the ages of eighteen and forty-fve
should attend muster. In the old
militia act we made greater demands
upon the citizen than any other coun-
try ever made. or than is proposed by
any bill pending in Congress, in that
il required him TO furnish his own uni
form. ammunition and arms and. If in
the mounted service, he was required
to furnish his own horse.
Involved in States Rights
The old militia system became in
volved in the states rights doctrine and
no systematic effort was ever made to
provide it with efficient officers The
result was that the militia proved in
efficient and the country turned to the
regular or professional army and the
volunteer system.
'Nationalize the old militia and or
ganize it under a law providing for
modern military force and the question
of securing A body of trained citizen
soldiers will be solved In a word let
us go back to the principles of the Con-
stitution and the military system advo-
cat by Washington and Jefferson.
But it must be realized that the pro-
duction Of trained citizen soldier
would only be a by-product of a system
by which every young man would be
given a military training. AS 1t is
stated in the ballot printed below. T
believe that such a policy would not
only produce the force of trained citi-
zen soldiers necessary to the preserva-
ton of the nation, but would conserve
the human resources of the nation so
as to reduce the criminal rate. pro-
duce A higher type of manhood and
destroy all traces of class distinction
by training and educating the poor and
rich alike in the higher duties of citi-
zenship under the same enrolling and
fnvi gorating system We have been
spending millions in improving our riv-
ers and harbors. enacting laws for the
preservation of our forests and wild
game and for the prevention of cruelty
to. as well as the improvement Of all
that II is about time for the nation to
take up the vital problem of develop
ing a higher type Of manhood.
can conceive of nothing that will
DO as much TO develop q perfect ply
steal type az military training. France
became q new nation as the result of
military training, and her national
military training system made Switzer-
Democracy OF System.
What would have a more democratic
influence upon the young men of the
country than u have them training
shoulder to shoulder under proper mill
:ary discipline? Under cur present sys-
tenn the gulf between the rich ard the
poor is growing wider and, despite all
S-r pretensions Of equality. class dis
S.nctions are rapidly forrning-the 81
bo"-touch has been lost. There is no
meltlng pot IN this country in which a
national spirit is heing fused, and we
are drifting rapidly toward CONNER
clalisn1- There seems to be an in,nres
sion that patriotism can be bought Our
young men are being taught that
money viii buy anything and that they
are under no obligation to render pei
5onal service. We pride ourselves
upon hasiag the greatest and freest
country III the world and are ready to
render less service to il than the sub
Jects Ct n7onarchs.
30 national spirit is being .iexel-
oped- The true spirit Of patriotisrn is
being crushed by nnateriaIisIn and We
VII never nave nation, in the high
go neg OF the word until all render
An ahirmative vote, in the ballot
printed below. will be instruction 70
congress to enact laws which will give
,he nation aew birth. BY this ya,a
you Will say that the people are ready
20 renoer national service and that our
patriotism does not consist SOLELY ~
and the flag" ''eS
NATIONAL MILITARY TRAINING.
'.o cast negative vote write the word
NOT In blank space. This will mega
tive the entire ballot)
~ am ;:..;.. an advocate of nation
al legislation. which will Mace the
military policy of the country on the
OASIS OF a true democracy as proyid-
sd In the Constitution of the United
believe this can be brought about
Only by making all young men, who are
physically and mentally it, liable for
mihtary training before reaching the
age Of twenty-one
peieVe that such policy would
not only produce The force Of trained
eltizHn soldiers necessary to the pres
ef"ation o. the nation. but would con-
ssrves the human resources of the ma