Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1917-04-11

the confusion. the hesitation and tn,
heart-rending delays OF q nation
whose military system was more lfk,
our own than that OF any other PEG
pie.
He came back to this country Z
strong advocate OF universal train
Ing for war service and has fought
for this principle in the front ranks
ever since. Now that he is on the
eve CT seeing his dreams for an
American army on the democratic
principle of universal liability to ser
vice come true a word from him is
especially interesting:
BY August p. Gardner
Modern wars are fought with huge
bodies Of troops and those troops
must be trained.
, The japanese, the Germans and the
French give to every young man
1000 hours of intensive military
/ training, spread over period of two
years. Under our national guard
system we give to very few OF our
young men SIC hours of training,
spread over a period of three years.
How can we expect them to be ade-
quately prepared for war? Yet every
company commander in the national
guard knows that young men can
not be persuaded voluntarily to sac
rince more of their time to military
training than they already give under
the national guard system.
The fact is that SIC hours of train
ing in three years means a drill once
a week and fortnight in camp every
year. Very few young men can af-
ford to give more time than that to
military matters, unless all other
young men are required to do like
wise.
The proper course is to take every
healthy lad in his nineteenth year.
rich or poor, high or low, and give
him one years solid training under
Uncle Sam. That plan is fair to
every one and, what is more, it is
superbly democratic. Some people
think that one year is not enough.
A few officers think the Job can be
fairly done in six months; but the
vast body of army opinion believes
in the one year period.
Military men who have recently
been in Europe tell me that the
period of training for a British re,
cruit is now six months in England
before he is sent to the continent.
Then follows a period of training be-
hind the lines. The length of this
period varies according to the mill.
tary necessities. Unless circum-
stances make 1t absolutely impossible,
the British aim to give each recruit
a full years training before sending
him into the first line trenches.
l understand, of course, that IL
many a war soldiers have beer
marched into battle with far les!
training than is thought necessary
today. If we go far enough back IL
history, we shall probably find tina
the young cave dweller was fitted 70
warfore in the length OF time which
it took him to gather a sufficien
supply of stones. When siege artil
lery consisted of catapults and man
ganels, an ordnance officer was no
obliged to spend long years In study
ing the chemistry of high explosives
nor was the artilleryman's brazil
sprained by problems in ballistict
Furthermore, when families wer
large and life was simple, boys wer
taught obedience and self-denia
Military discipline does not cor
sist in learning to maintain straigh
line in marching, nor in humping tn
armory floor with your rifle butt 1
unison with your neighbors. All tina
sort OF thing is military drill, no
military discipline. have seen
company Of young women on tn
stage who could maintain a perfec
alignment and give an exhibition
drill which would make you marve
but I have a good deal of doub
whether their minds had been traine
to that obedience which prevents tn
disintegratlon of armies exposed L
hunger and thirst and cold and heat
and holds human nature in check dur
ing the awful ordeal of battle.
If plenty Of skilful officers an
non-commissioned officers are avail
able, unduestionably the averag,
American boy can be rapidly laugh
to shoot, to drill, to look after hi
health and to take care OF his rifle
The throwing of bombs, the handling
of mn oI,in. ss,,,,,. Tho ,,,o ~ H. ho,,