The Era-leader. [volume] (Franklinton, La.) 1910-current, 1917-12-13
WAR TALKS
By UNCLE DAN
Military Training Necessary for Safety
and Defense.
Number Four


mic and have been looking up about
war in the encyclopedia at school. We
found that In the war between Ger
many and France in 1901, Germany
lost in killed and wounded 2S,OO0 SOL
diers while France lost about six times
as 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
combed with jealousy and politics;
that the officers were not much good,
and that's why France lost the war |
and so many men. What do you think |
about it, Uncle DAM"
"Well," said Uncle Dan, professor
Slocum is right. By inefticieney France
lost that war, together with two Of
her best provinces-Alsace and Lor-
raine-and had to pay billion dol
lars indemnity money. France today
learned her lesson by that sad expe-
rence, so she put in universal military
| training, and as a result, her soldiers
now know how to fight and how to
protect themselves. They are losing
less men in 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 ~ult Is,
France has one of the best aud most
efficient armies every assembled, and
this shows what thorough training and
good leadership means in warfare.
This saved France in this crisis, as
we'll as the liberties of the world
"As war is now conducted, there Is
no place for an unframed man. A
body of 10000 we'll trained soldiers
properly handled could defeat i've
times their number of raw recruits and
do it 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
erwise would be, and right here is an
unanswerabIe argument for universal
military training.
"Our government has no moral right
TO force her men into war service
without properly training them for 1t.
To 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. II we
are to win this war, it will take trained
men to do it, and it will take trained
, men to win any other war that may
2 come upon US in the future. II we
t must fight, let us fight to win and moi
. to lose"
t "That's the stuff" said Billie.
t Continuing, Uncle Dan said: "Oul
+ government has expended about $500,
r 100000 to put up environments anc
r training stations in order to train thu
!. men called by the selective draft
When these men are trained the train
ing stations should be immediatel!
filled with younger men, say those IL
their nineteenth year, to receive si1
months of intensive military train
n ing along the lines of the Chamberlain
70 bill. This will be Of immeasurabl
benefit to them individually. 1t will
do them more good than any other tw'
years of their whole life; it will maxi
them strong, manly, self-reliant, Quicl
to see and quick to act; 1t will equil
them for a successful life. In short
il will rebuild American manhood ant
will also give the government a bod
If trained men to draw from In cas-
II Is necessary to defend our flag AM
country. We must settle this question
of universal military training imme
diately, otherwise these training. camp
NAV he demolished. The adoption 0
$50 universal military training will be nc
- tice to the world that from then OF
we will be prepared to defend oul
selves promptly and efficiently, an
this will do more to keep us out 0
war IN the future than anything els
we could do"
"Do you think, brother" said Mr'
Graham. "that there will ever be ar
other war;?
81 have no doubt about it." sal
Uncle Dan. $50 long as men ar
selfish, so long as nations are amb
tious to acquire territory, so long a
nonu,atioa presses and demands NOR
room so long as there remains
scramble for world trads-so long war
will be. When the time comes tina
we reach the high plane for which "
hone and dream, when all will recot
nlze the fatherhood Of COD ana u
brotherhood of man, then and the
onlv will wars cease. When that da
6 comes doors will need no locks, bank
will need no vaults to protect the
treasures, but that day is long wa
off.
1.-THE only safe and sane plan is
49, no able to defend ourselves at a
fines Therefore, every citizen shou
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