Carroll County democrat. (Huntingdon, Tenn.) 188?-1971, 1917-11-30
WAR TALKS.
By UNCLE DAN
Number Four
Military Training Necessary for safety
and Defense.

many aud France In 1901, Germany
lost in killed and wounded $4,000 sol
dicrs while France lost about six times
MS many, and besides that, she lost
every battle. We asked Professor SlO-
cum why this was. He said that the.
German army was highly trained and
ably commanded, while the French
soldiers were poorly trained; and that
their war department was honey
conbed with jealousy and politics;
mat the officers were not much good,
and that's why France lost the war
! and so many men. What do you think
about 1t, Uncle Dan2"
SWELL" said Uncle Dan, Professor
Siocun is right, By incfEieiency France
lost that war, together with two OF
her best proyinces-Alsace and Lor-
Taine-and lind to pay billion dol
lars indemnity money. Trance today
learned her lesson by that sod expe-
flenee, 80 slte pHt In universal military
training. and as result. her soldiers
now know how to Aght and how 70
protect themselves. They are losing
less men iit the war than the Germans.
France also put politics out Of her war
department, so that expert authority.
instead Of bureaucratic stupidity, now
directs the army. The result is,
France has one Of the best and most
efficient armies every assembled, and
this shows what MISUNDERSTANDING and
good leadership means in warfare.
This saved France in this crisis, az
well as the liberties Of the world"
"As war is now conducted, there Is
no place for an unframed man. A
body of 10000 well trained soldiers
properly handled could defeat Ave
times their number Of raw recruits and
do 1t every time with comparatively
small loss to themselves. Proper train
ing alone will reduce the death and
casualty rate one-third Of what 1t 9TH
erwlse would be. and right here ls an
unanswerabIe argument for universal
military tralnlng.
''Our government has no moral right
to force her men into war service
without properly training them for 1t.
10 do so Is simply murder, hence the
frantic effort that Is now being made
TO give her soldiers some training be-
fore they are sent to the front. If we
are to win this war, it will take trained
linen TO do 1t, and it will take trained
men to win any other war that may
come upon us in the future. If we
must fight, let us fight to win and not
10 lose"
"Thats the stuff, said Billie.
Continuing, Uncle Dan said: "Our
government has expended about $780,
000,000 to put UP environments and
training stations in order to train the
men called by the selective draft
When these men are trained the train.
ing stations should be Immediately
filled with younger men, say those In
their nineteenth year, to receive six
months Of intensive military train
ing along the lines Of the Chamberlain
bill. This will be of undesirable
benefit to them individually. 1t will
do them more good than any other two
ySlrs of their whole life; it will make
Them strong, manly, selt-reliant, quick
to see and quick to act; it will equip
them for q successful life. In short,
it will rebuild American manhood and
will also give the government Il body
of trained men to draw from In casG
it is necessary to defend our flag and
country. We must settle this question
Of universal military training imme-
liately, otherwise these training camps
may be demolished. The adoption OF
universal military training will be no,
tice to the world that from then ON
we will be prepared to defend our
selves promptly and efficiently, and
this will do more to keep us out of
war in the future than anything else
we could do"
"Do you think, brother" said Mrs
Graham, that there will ever be an
other WARP"
81 have no doubt about it," said
Uncle Dan. so long as men IRE
selfish, so long as nations are ambi-
lions to acquire territory, so long as
population presses and demands more
room, SO long rs there remains q
scramble for world tradeso lnng wars
will be. When the time comes that
We reach the high plane for which we
nope and dream, when all will recOg-
llze the fatherhood Of God aud the
Of man, then, aud then
lnly. will wars cease. When that day
zones doors will need no locks. hanks
will need no vaults to protect their
reasures but that day is long way
III.
'The only safe and sane plan is to
,e able TO defend ourselves ut all
limos. Therefore, every citizen should
INSIST that senator's and congressman
hall provide for universal military
raining, SO that never again shall the
be caught 80 completely I'M
eady as this war found us. For
unately, in this case, our enemy has
leen held back so we have had d few
months in which to prepare. This adj
antage probably will never come
gain. It is however our salvation