Arizona republican., 1917-03-08
COLONEL HARRIS GIVES VIEWS ON
 PREPAREDNESS


 upon to express his views in sirneC
 article to appear in an eastern pub-
 lcation.
 The article which is given below is
 clear comprehensive and clean GU,
 outline of what Col. Harris considers
 should be the plan to be followed ii
 compulsory military service is insti.
 tuted in this country
 He advocates orly sending those
 boys to West Point who have served year in the ranks Of the regular army, of retiring officers after five wears service. and most important of all, he is outright in his demand for a business administration of the mill tary organization
 He has buried the old ant;pathv fo,. 'he regular army officers, and calls upon his colleagues to meet the off cers or the service half way. Follow Ing IS a digest of his article:
 We have reached the place where the roads fcrk. As national guardsmeD We must take the stand that our in- te'hgence 1irects us is necessary for the safety Of nur country so that the history Of this nation may record that onr organization at least AsSas con- posed of sincerely patriotic Americans willing 10 sacrifice the traditions of
 
 or our service, on the altar of national need without a thought of our per Sohal ambitions, or personal benefits or olr personal losses. If necessary. we must be prepared willingly to step aside from the work to which We nave given the best years of our lives. without any idea that we shall receive rom our government that financial assistance which is granted to all Of flcers of the regular service. We must De prepared to give our loyal supIort To whatever organization is evolved. If that organization is thoroughly American Tn structure and methods.
 If the regular army can not follow es, If they can not give up antiquated methods Of preference, training and education, if tradition is dearer 10 them than country, that blame is not OUTS.
 We must have compulsory training Of every able bodied male citizen of this country. No other system is fair to all. no other system is fair to the country Ary selective system Of com pulsory training is certain to be un- lar. The most popular part of our present law Is the selection of off eers: for the army through political appointment and nepotism. in most of the national guard through political appointment or political selection under compulsory training no boy should be allowed to enter our rnili- tary academy until he has served d year in the ranks as an enlisted man. No officer, should. be retained in the service over five years except those Seicted by competitive examination Tor training corps. There should be no retired pay or other emoiuments officers ha 1F term os service. Let them become good citizns. as will the enlisted men who have beer trained. and earn their living.
 West Point should be male ! sc2loOl for training mer. IS flistin- gtIished- from it's preser. use. Bows should be selected by competitive ex- amininatiou for training as officers Retention cn the training corps ana promotions should be determined by competitive examinations. The infan- try officer does not need the long and | technical trairing that the artillery or engineer officer requires.
 Let US have business methods. and business training ir our military or ga1lzations particularly in the branch ] es where these are needed. No officer | should be commissioned in the Quar- termaster corps under the age of thir- . ty- possibly thirty five. and theg should then be selected for their !. proven business ability After the of flcer has served his term and been i placed in the reserve, let him prove his business ability and from applica ttons of reserve officers received lei ihe selections be made for appoint ments to th permanent quartermaster corps.
 Many officers of the regular army are urging that compulsory training IS necessary for real defense system TOT this country. can remember that some five years ago when made this statement 10 some of our represent atNe guardsmen at an annual con Nentlon, my statement was not even considered. except possibly as an indi- cation of my tnfamiliarity with miii- tary subjects. l remember some of our army officers who now advocate this course, five years ago could not see lfs necessity. How time changes our ideas. remember q little over one year ago Scme of the leaders of the national guard explained to me why we could not create a reserve in the guard, after it had been ere ated in this state for over three years. It is true that the best results were not obtained from our reserve in the recent mobilization. due to the re- fusal of the war department to rec ognize and from their refusal to even houl our men under their enlistment paths.
 Let ps meet the officers of the regular army more than half way. Let US urge compulsory training with no provision In our support that we must Dc protected in the new orga- that we must have increased commissions, that we must have the training in our charge. There may be better men than we to train the boys Df this country. There may even pos sioy be men better fitted for this work than some of the present off eefs or the regular army. Let US ask Tor thorough investigation of both 1ur system and that of the regular army. And let us support any system -or national defense for this country hat requires that every man shall be rained to defend thas country if he s needed. regardless of his social or financial position. If this training ie given entirely into the hands of the present. regular army system, be as- 'ured that action will compel a com 'lete reorganization of the system adopted It may require a little longer inc for a proper system but the final estlt will De the same
 Some of you will protest that com ,ulsory training will interfere with he constitutional rights If the states 'Yer their militia. Any proper system will include. an active force in trair- ng and two orm more classes of re- eryes. If the A class reserve has ive-year term. this may be easily educed to three years term for the asne service in the same organization I-. Al. his organization need not even have chanpe of mama if ,na,- cfiIl ha tho