Licking Valley courier., 1917-12-06
WAR TALKS
By UNCLE DAN
Number -Four
Military Training Necessary for Safety
and Defense.
Number -Four


many and France in 1901, Germany
lost in killed and wounded 28,000 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 1t, Uncle Dan?"
SWELL" said Uncle Dan, professor
SlOcum Is right. BY ineficiency 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-
rlence, 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 result is,
France has one of the best and most
efficient armies every assembled, and
this shows what thorough training and
good leadership means In warfare.
This saved France In this crisis, as
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 five
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
erwise would be, and right here 10 an
unanswerable argument for universal
military training.
"0ur 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, II will take trained
men to do 1t, and II 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 moi
to lose"
nat's the stuff" said lille.
ContlpuiSg. Uncle Dan said: "0ur
governmt has expended about $500
100000 tj put up cantonments 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
filed with younger men, say those In
their nineteenth year, to receive six
months Of intensive military traip-
ing along the lines of the Chamberlain
bill. This will be of Unacceptable
benefit to them individually. 1t will
do them more good than any other two
years of their whole life; 1t will make
them strong, manly, self-rellant. quick
to see and quick to act; 1t will equip
them for successful life. In short,
II will rebuild American manhood and
will also give the government a body
of trained men to draw from In case
II is necessary to defend our flag and
country. We must settle this question
of universal military training imme-
dlately, otherwise these training camps
may be demolished. The adoption OF
universal military training will be no
tice to the world that from then OIL
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 war?"
'T have no doubt about It," sale
Uncle Dan. $50 long as men are
selfish, so long as nations are ambi
tlous to acquire territory, so long a
population presses and demands NOR,
room, so long as there remains {
scramble for world trade-so long wars
will be. When the time comes tina
we reach the high plane for which W,
hope and dream, when all will recog
niZe the fatherhood OF God and IN,
brotherhood Of man, then, and theI
only, will wars cease. When that da!
comes doors will need no locks, bank,
will need no vaults to protect thei
treasures, but that day is long wa!
of.
"The only safe and sane plan is 4
be able to defend ourselves at al
times. Therefore, every citizen shoul,
insist that senators and congressnel
shall provide for universal mllltar.
training, so that never again shall tn
country be caught so completely un
ready as this war found us. For
tunately, In this case, our enemy ha
been held back, so we have had a fey
months in which to prepare. This ad
vantage probably win never com
again. 1t is however our salvation
today.
Because she was ready, Swltzerlan
Is an island of peace In u sea o
war. Safety first is good, but safet
always Is better. In strength there
safety. You never saw a tin ca
tied to the tail OF bulldog. Ther
10 q reason"
Pay for Harmful BUTTERFLIES,