The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1916-02-19
RUSSELL ADVOCATES
CONT|NENTAEARMY
Near Socialist Candidate for
President of United States
Is Bold.
BILL ON UNIVERSAL
SERVICE EXPLAINED
Would Mean 5000, 900 Men
Capable of Answering Call
to Arms.

About the only choice a nation has
IN these days is to get a big army Of
! hired men, get big citizen army, or
stand the risk of being smashed up,
declares Charles Edward Russell, the
! we'll known Socialist.
The Swiss and the Australians
chose to have the citizen army in the
name of democracy.
I'VE can have in the United States
all the great benefits of the Swiss and
Australian systems if congress will
pass the bill introduced by Senator
| Chamberlain of Oregon, senate bill
1895.
"Al the bodied male Amer
leans, except those exempted, under
certain conditions, because of relig-
ious creed. are made subject to mill
tary training from their twelfth year
to their twenty-fourth. Then, without
further training. they become men,
bers of the citizen army reserves.
What 1t Means To a Boy.
"A normal, average American hov
would then go through these exper-
fences:
At II he would become automati-
cally a member of the citizens cadet
corps, in which he would continue six
years. passing through three divisions.
From II to IA, in the first division.
he would be trained in calisthenics,
physical development, and military
exercises without arms, for at least
ninety hours year, at his chool or
in an organization like the boy scouts.
At II his second division training
nnJ IN f1a rif1
galleries, again not less than ninety
hours 4 year.
At Is he would enter the third di-
vision, and have, in addition to ninety
hours ether drilling, ten whole days
in camp with field exercises and tar
get practice. In these two divisions he
| would have a uniform. -
At IS he would become a member
of the citizen army, and every year
Tor six years would have not less than
40 hours of drilling, of which at least
ten who.e days must be in camp.
At "a lie would become member
of the citizen reserves
Could Enter Navy.
"If he preferred at the beginning to
enter tho navy. that would be ar
ranged, training on shipboard being
substituted for the camps.
THE bill provides that youth that
do not axe the required training shall
be liable to fines and imprisonment,
and employers are stringently forbid
den to interfere with or hamper the
training of their employees. Persons
of bad moral character are excluded
and intoxicating liquor is ruled out.
The citizen army and navy do not
take the places of the regular army
and navy, but are to be added to the
regular forces in time of war. The
president can mobilize the citizen
army ana navy. when they pass at
once into the regular service. When
they are training they receive no pay;
when in regular service they get the
pay of regulars.
By Congressional Districts.
Every congressional district is
made a training district in charge of
an officer of the regular army, and
from :he start the training is under
the charge of the war department.
''The president is to appoint officers
of the citizen army, citizen navy and
reserves, but under regulations as to
examinations, record for efficiency
and promotion, so that service as Off
GERS shall be open to all.
The only other plan now offered
for national defense is the continental
army .chcme of the war department.
now being urged upon congress-. It
would give us eventually about 4OO,-
600 men at an enormous expense.
Means 100000 Men.
The Chamberlain plan, in it's full
working, would give us about S.OOO,-
600 trained men, ready to be mobil- =
CONTINUED on page e.)