The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-16

ice" said his letter. 'T cannot too strongly emphasize my support of the ad- ministration in this matter and my ap- preciation of the need of introducing this principle as a permanent feature of our national policy. it is the really democratic principle the only principle fit for free republic. in which citizenship should be based on equality of both rights and du- ties, so that universal suffrage and uni versal service should go hand in hand.
 MUST GO TO FRANCE
 Tt is along the lines proposed by the administration that we should inaugu- rate our permanent military policy, and
 it is only thus that we can carry on the war in proper manner if it should last a year or two or three years, or over, and no one can foretell how long it will last But of course a great system of this kind, system entirely new in this coun- try, cannot be immediately inaugurated 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, aggressive fighting campaigns which it is honorably incum- bent on us to undertake now that we have entered into the war
 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
 Meanwhile let us use volunteer forces in connection with a portion of the reg ular army, in order at the earliest pos sihle moment within a 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 na- tional honor, and sef-respect For the sake of our own souls for the sake Of the memories of the great Americans Of the past. we much show that we do not intend to make this merely dollar war. Let us pay with our bodies for our souls desire Let us without one hours un- necessary delay put the American flag ron the battle front in this great world war for democracy and civilization ana for the reign of justice and fair dealing among the nations of mankind"
 OUTLINES PLAN
 The colonel said he did not seek to have the volunteer system interfere in any way with or substitute for the oblig- atory plan, but that except 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. 1S99 providing for the raising of 35.0Oo volun- teers. so as to authorize the President to raise a force of not more than 1OO.VO NOI -uV,VuU ldleFJ LOT three wears or the duration of the war
 Under this act" the letter continued "I should ask leave to raise. for imme- diate service overseas, with the first ex- peditionary force, an infantry division of three three-regiment brigades and one di- ] visional brigade of cavalry together with an artillery brigade, a regiment of en- gineers, a motorcycle machine gun regi- ment an aero-squadron, a signal corps, l the supply service. etc. I should request the war department for the detail of say two officers for every 1000 men. I be- lieve that acting under the direction and with the aid of the department, I could | raise the division and have it ready to l begin shipment to France in two or three months; my idea would be to have the ! training in gas work, bomb | bayonet fight and trench work | given in France they would then be sent l into the trenches when they were thor Oughly prepared.
 COLONEL HAS REFERENCES
 As for my fitness to command troops | in the field, I respectfully refer you to l my three immediate field commanders in | the Cuban campaign, Lieut.-Gen. S. B. M. l Young (retired), Maj Gen. Samuel Sum ner Getired). and Mai.-Gen. Leonard l Wood. In the first fight of the cam 1 paign, the Guasimas fight, I commanded l first the right wing and then the left i wing of the regiment. Tn the second i the San Juan fight I commanded the regiment. l ended the campaign in com mand of the brigade. The regiment, with ! which I first served as lieutenant colonel and which I afterwards commanded as colonel, was raised, armed, equipped, l drilled, mounted, dismounted, kept two l weeks on a transport and put through l two victorious, aggressive fights, in | which it lost a third of the officers, and 1 l fifth of the men. within 50 days, all | told :"