The Washington times., 1917-04-16
7. R. URGES more
THAN DOLLAR WAR;
Roosevelt Declares Volunteers
Should Garry Flag to France
Within Four Months.

Insisting that the United States make
this war something else than merely q
dollar war" Col Theodore Roosevelt. in
a letter to Senator Chamberlain and
Representative Dent, the chairTnen Of
the Senate and House Military Commit
tees, urges his plan to lead a divi-
sion OF American troops to France.
Colonel Roosevelt comes out strongly for
universal service and conscription. but
holds that II will take a year to make
this plan effective, and meantime volun-
teers should be used to place the
American nag on the battle front in
this world war for democracy and civ
iliZation."
Immunes From Draft.
Meantime, he declares, national honor
and self-respect demand use at the
earliest possible moment Of the volun-
teer forces with a part Of the regular
army. He proposes tha1 volunteers be
raised from men who would not be sub
ject to draft.
He urges an amendment to the army
bill authorizing the President to raise
from 10000 to $4,000 volunteers for i'm
mediate service. Under this law. he
would ask authority to raise a division
Il most earnestly and heartily sup
port the Administration bill for pro-
vtding an army raised on the principle
of universal obligatory military train
ing and SERVICE" said the ColoneFs
letter. 81 cannot too strongly empha-
size my support of the Administra-
tion in this matter, and my apprecia-
tion of the need of introducing this
principle as a permanent feature Of
our national policy.
"OnIy Fit PrincipIe.'
'It is the really democratic prin-
ciple." the only principle ft for a
free republic, in which citizenship
should be based on equality of both
rights and duties, so that universal
suffrage and universal service should
go hand in hand.
at Is along the lines proposed by
the Administration that we should in
augurate our permanent military
policy, and 1t Is only thus that we can.
carry on the war in proper manner
il it should last a year, or two or
three years or over-and no one can
foretell how long 1t will last But,
Of course, a great system Of this kind.
n system entirely new in this country,
cannot be Immediately inaugIeate
Many months. probably at least a
year or over, must elapse before the
army thus raised would be available
for use in Europe IN the hard. ag-
gressive fighting campaigns which II
is honorably incumbent on us to un-
dertake now that we have entered
into the war.
Put Flag at Front.
Meanwhile let US use volunteer
forces in connection with a portion of
the regular army, in order at the
earliest possible moment, within q few
months, to put our flag on the firing
line. We owe this to humanity. We
owe It to the small nations who have
suffered such dreadful wrong from
Germany. Most OF all we owe it to
ourselves, to our national. honor and
self-respect.
"For the sake of our own souls, for
the sake OF the memories of the great
Americans OF the past, We must show
that we do not intend to make this
merely dollar war. SLet us pay with
our bodies for our souls desire. Let
us without one hours unnecessary de-
lay put the American flag on the bat
tie front in this great world war for
democracy and civilization and for the
reign Of justice and fair dealing
among the nations of mankind"
The Colonel said he did not seek to
have the volunteer system interfere
in any way with or be a substitute
for the obligatory plan, but that ex-
cept in certain cases the volunteers
should be composed of men who would
not be taken under obligatory service.
He. proposed an amendment to the
act Of March 2. 1899, providing for the |
raising of $4,000 volunteers, so as to
authorize the President to raise |
force OF not more than 100000 (or
100000 to 100000 leter) for three
years or the duration of the war.
Makeup Of Division.
Under this act" the letter contin- |
ued, Il should ask leave to raise |
for immediate service overseas with |
the first eXpeditionary force an fnfan-
try division Of three three-regiment |
brigades and one divisional brigade |
of cavalry, together with an artillery |
brigade, a regiment of engineers, a |
motorcycle machine-gun regiment, an |
aero squadron. a signal corps, the |
supply service. etc.
Il should request the War Depart |
ment for the detail of, say, two Of |
icers for every 1000 men. believe |
that, acting under the direction and |
with the aid of the department, I |
could raise the division and have il |
ready to begin shipment to France |
in two or three months. Nv idea |
would be to have the intensive train /
ing in gas work, bomb throwing.
bayonet lighting, and trench work |
given in France. They would then be |
sent into the trenches wien they were |
prepared.
"As for my fitness to command |,
troops in the field, respectfully re-
fer you to my three Immediate field
in the Cuban CAMPAIGN
Lieut.. Gen. S. B. NJ. Young Cresired),
Maj. Gen. Samuel Sumner Cretired). |
and Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood.
in the first fight OF the campaign,
the Guasimas tight. I commanded first
the right wing and then the left wing
of the regiment. In the second San
Juan fight I commanded the regiment.
ended the campaign in command Of
the brigade.
THE regiment with which / first
served as lieutenant colonel and
which afterward commanded as
was raised, equipped. drilled,
dismounted. kept two weeks
on transport, and put through two
aggressive fights in which
IT lost a third OF the officers and a
NTH Of the men within sixty days all
told"
BIBLES FOR GuARDsMEN.