The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1917-01-04
CONGRESS- TO Be ASKED TO PROVIDE
FOR UNIVERSAL military TRAINING
Several Bills Being Prepared for the Consideration Of the National
Lawmakers-swiss System Suggested as Pattern Tor the
United States PIan-Consdered by Experts as Ideal
From Defensive Standpoint.

Washington.-Every sign points to
some sort of legislation bearing on uni
versal military training in the United
States, And it is becoming more and
more apparent that there may De
more than one bill presented to con-
yress to provide for the establishment
of one system or another of military
preparation for the youth Of America.
Recently there has been more talk
of such legislation. Just how far the
American people will be willing to go
in this matter not even the best judges
can possibly know.
President Wilson and various mem
bers of his cabinet, not to mention
high officers of the army and navy,
are almost a unit in the opinion that
the voluntary plan Of obtaining re-
cruits has been, up to date, a failure
and that some program Of universal
military training will be best for the
country in the long run
Various bills providing for universal
lulllluly G1dkAluS L III PAOSSSo Va
making. One is being whipped into
form by persons identified with the
Universal Military Training league.
whose headquarters are in Chicago,
but whose hackers know no state lines
and are not restricted by party or
sect. It will be some time before any
bill is in shape to go before the house
or senate, but, in the main, the princi-
pal features a now be presented.
Follow the Swiss Plan.
The idea seems to be to pattern the
United States plan after the Swiss
system of defensive military training
and preparation. Experts are laying
stress upon the difference between a
military training plan looking to the
defense of a country and n contem-
plating aggression. Some experts hold
that the Swiss plan is an ideal n
from a defensive standpoint and the
German system quite typical of one
concerned not only with defensive but
aggressive military measures.
Howard III. Gross, president of the
Universal Military Training league,
has just finished a visit in Washing
ton, where he conferred with numer-
GUS officials, including Secretary of
War Baker. Mr.. Gross is careful to
emphasize the Importance of q con
sentative system of military training
as against n that might invite op
position from persons who see a mill
taristic DOGGY in every preparedness
suggestion.
"In Switzerland recently the entire
Swiss army, including all the re-
serves, was put on the Swiss border
within forty-eight hours" said Mr..
Gross. "The Swiss border minus
Swiss soldiers would have been quite
as inviting Is the Belgian border had
been. In mountain pass and on plain
Swiss soldiers who had been accus-
.omed to drilling and handling q fire.
I'm since boyhood were gathered by
he hundreds of thousands. Each
Kiss is what one would call in this
,antry "a dead shot Mobilization Of
,cse dead Shots in short, spelled the
.inplcte safety Of the Swiss republic
roan the warning nations of Europe.
Switzerland, however, is not a mill
artistic country, but quite the re-
,erse.''
Every Lad to Train.
AS outlined at present, one of the
ills providing for universal military
raining will contain the following i'm.
,ortant items:
Every lad between the ages of eight
en- II twenty-three shall be subject
9 military training unless he is phys
c;tlly or mentally deficient.
In the nineteenth year the boy must
. to the nearest training camp, where
ae will be received by Uncle Sam and
siven several months of rigorous train
my in military m%aneuyers, handling
of ar1ns and the. science of warfare.
The next year the boy must also re-
port for similar duty, but his term
of trimming will not be so prolonged as
the first year.
Capable United States army and ma
val officers will be in charge, and the
Toys will be taught discipline, obedi-
ilce, care Of their bodies, upbuilding
t the physique, camping-out meth
nds, besides the regulation drill and
target practice.
The government will pay all bills
from the time the boy starts for the
training camp to the time he gets
home again.
Previous military experience or
;cflool training shall count as a credit
80 any entrant; that is, an entrant
slaying had previous instruction IN a
military school will be informed by
the government that his term Of mill
fary training has been reduced a GER
tain number of weeks or months on
that account.
Use Military Camps.
Training in military camps, such as
the Plattsburg camp, or in the state
guard also will be given considerat..
80 s5iaasssa Stutes officials will pass
upon oil entrants md it will be their
~ n - W8Es 49, 90 -