El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-01-21
ROOSEVELT FL0UTS CONTINENTAL
ARMY; WANTS UNIVERSAL SERVICE
Says Universal Service in Army Will Make For Great
Cohesion of the People and Interests of the Country
Says Industrially, That Germany is Far
Ahead of United S tates in Every Way.

, ter than we do: and she has secured
loyalty, both from employer and en-
ploye. he asserted
Germany Outdistances Us
Germany has outdistanced US in her
industrial efficiency" Mr. Roosevelt
continued. "and now it is for us to show
I that a democratic government which
guarantees personal liberty is not in
consistent with such industrial eff
ficiency-"
To achieve industrial preparedness.
he said. we must solve the railroad
problem and for this and other pur-
poses national corporations are neces-
sary- The government must stand be
hind these great national corporations.
too, If We are to reach Germany's level
Of efficiency he declared. California
is farther advanced than any other
state in intelligent handling of its pub
lie corporations. he added.
The colonel spoke in favor of pro-
tective tariff and a tariff commission
of the German type; munitiOn plants
situated in the interior; a comprehen-
sive plan for handling problems such
as ruinOus international competition
and enormous immigration which must
be met at the end of the war; an ef-
ficient navy. regular army of 250. 900
men and universal military training
Of secretary of war Garrison's con-
tinentals. he said;
THE proposed continental army is
an absurdity. If passed. il may for a
year or two prove partially success
full rival TO the national guard and at
tract some young men, But serious
minded young men who have their way
to make in the world cannot and ought
not go into any such army, which pro-
poses to penalize patriotism by max
ing the patriotic man incur a heavy
loss in time. or in money. or in bust
ness training. or in opportunity. or in
all four at the very period of his life
when it is most essential that he should
not be put at A disadvantage compared
TO his less patriotic and more selfish
competitors and rivals
4 believe that universal sericvs
would be in every way beneficial TO the
state and that il would be almost or
quite as beneficial from the standpoint
Of those who consider the interest of
the state in time Of peace as from
those who are interested in the welfare
Of the state in time of war The normal
tests of military efficiency are the very
tests which would test q mans eff
ficiency for industry and for the or
binary tasks OF civil life
FavOrs Universal Service.
The fundamental evil in this coun-
try is the lack of sufficiently general
appreciation of the responsibility Of
citizenship Unfair business methods.
the misused power of capital,1 the IN
justified activities Of labor. pork barrel
legislation. and graft among powerful
politicians. have all been made posi-
bic by. and have been manifestations
Of this fundamental evil Nothing
would do more to remedy this evil than
the kind of txaining in citizenship. in
natriotism and in efficiency which
he Of rr7fr sol ~faa
on the Swiss or Australian models, or,
better still, on a combination Of the
two adapted to our needs. There should
be military training as part Of high
school education which should include
all around training for citizenship This
training should begin in the schools in
serious fashion at about the age Of is.
Then between the ages Of Is and q
there should be four or six months
actual service in the field with the
colors-
For National Cohesion.
such universal training would give
our young men the discipline, the sense
Of orderly liberty and of loyalty to the
interests of the whole people which
would tell in striking manner for ma
tiOnal cohesion and efficiency It would
tend 20 enable US in time Of need TO
mobilize not only troops but workers
and financial resources and industry
itself and 10 coordinate all the factors
in national life. There can be no such
and coordination until We
appreciate the necessity and value Of
national organization. and universal
service on the Swiss or Australian
model would be a most powerful fac
tor in bringing about such general ap-
probation.
"As q result Of it, every man, wheth-
er he carried a rifle or iabored on pub
lie works or managed a business or
rot
clearer conception OF his obligations to
the state. It would moreover be a
potent method Of Americanizing the i'm
1trrFrFfu-