The Washington times., 1916-11-02
REPLIES TO MRS. POST
ON ARMY TRAINING
H. n. Sheets Charges Wife Of
y Assistant Secretary Of La
Dor Evades Facts.

Charging that Mrs. Louis +. Post,
wife of the Assistant Secretary OF Labor
and an officer In the woman's Peace So
ciety, has evaded facts and issues. II.
II. Sheets, secretary OF the ASSOCIATE ton
for National Service. today replied to
the statement OF Mrs. Post, recently
published in The Times.
lie says:
I'm The Times OF October 2G there APP
peared n most astonishing letter from
Mrs Louis +. Post, wife of the AZ
sistant Secretary of Labor, and an OF
ficer OF the Wohan's Peace party.
I'm the first place I was not aware
that France-a sister republicans In
any sense 'militaristic nation
Before Twenty-one
'Just why Mrn Post feels that she
has been corroborated Is n profound
mystery to me. The policy OF this asso-
citation states that We favor the nrll-
tary training OF the youth before reach
Ing the age OF twenty-one. No one has
the authority to state that this means
before reaching the age OF twenty. II is
stated 'twenty-one' with mathematical
particularly.
1.-THE crux OF Mrs. Posts argument
assumed that when Mr.. Sheets advo-
Gated military training for our youth
before the age OF twenty-one he was
not contemplating crowding that train
tending from twenty TO twenty-one.'
Twelve Months a Year"
"Slnce was born--and history says
II was a fact, prior TO that cvent-each
year has contained twelve months with
out any pcrceptible crowding. and yet
Mrs. Post feels that between the par
Nl...l L.. 1t AWaUA a OFnI 90
the year will be crowded II given oyer
to military training.
1T Is like all other arguments OF our
good, but misguided friends-the paci-
fists-they must assume something
which does not appear in the record In
order to present their case. In other
words, they must depend upon us. who
are striving for the adoption or THIS
fundamental principle of national mill
tary policy, to grant them a point-a
| once, their hypothesis 10 acquiesced In
| they will proceed to build their argu'
ment.
"Basis of Fact"
at does not suit me at all to grant
the assumption OF this worthy lady. and
therefore. II. she cares to continue the
argument she will be compelled TO an
swer on the basis OF fact
at Is the sincere opinion OF many
men, both in and out OF Congress. that
the most we can hope to get from any
Congress is a law providing six months
OF training and In the event of "A student
having been in attendance at a uni
versity, college or school giving the pre-
scribed training. under supervision OF
the War Department. a credit for one
month for each year at school Will be
given, and in the event Of four years, at
tendance at such Il school four months
credit will be given, thus making com
colors, actually two months. These two
months training would, perhaps, come
| In the life of the youth when he wa
at the age Of between twenty and TWEEN
| tyone. There could be no possible
| crowding in this event, nor could there
| be any crowding were the entire siS
months required within the period OF
| twenty to twenty-one.
No Good Measure"
mo statement in this reply Ia thrown
in for good measure but is as exact
as 1t is possible 10 make a statement
in the English language.
These discussions should be valuable
to the general public. where each
party in interest adheres TO the facts
and is willing to reply TO the facts.
Mrs. Posts evasion and eQuivocatior
has almost converted me to the belief
| that military training would be OF
value . the gentler sex"
Very truly yours,
II. II. SHEETS,
Secretary Association for Nationa
| Service.