The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-12-08
||IIIlL Army
ENDlL[oT FOR
UNIVERSAL Drill
Vote 4,60i 10 1856 In Favor Of
Training All Boys Of 10,

CAMP GRANT, ROCKFORD, ILL.,
The h,ghiy-sixth division OF the ma
tional army emphsticslly advocates unit
yersal military training for young men
By the division" Is meant not ITS Of
ficers but It's enlisted men--its privates,
serseants, and eorpoTals-men taken
from civil life in the last three months
under the seIeetiye service act
At the request OF The Tribune the
first sergeants OF thirty.five companies
and batteries have polled their men on
the question and have reported the re-
suiu.
The question asked was;
do you think all young men should
have at least six moHths military
training when they reach 70 years OF
see,"
The return cards show the totals
i Number of men favorable, 1901.
' Number Of men oorosed, l6,
y Votes Are Explained.
One SIDE OF the card was left blank
, for "further information or remarks
What WAS written there showed the
reasons Tor the vote The emphasis
was about equally divided between the
benefits to the men receiving the train
ing and the protection OF the nation
The geographical source OF the unit
whether il came from the congestet
areas OF Chicago or the open hills oI
,Wiseonsin--seemed TO make no differ
ence.
The question was put before the mel
on its own merits and without argu
ment. This was the letter sent to th'
first sersesnts,
"Many public officers, public speak
ers, and others have frequently stated
Nthat every young man lin the country
should have at least six months mill
iary training when he reaches l9 years
Of age.
~Thsy claim II will benefit the mer
physically and mentally and give then
valuable experience which will at tn
4 same time make the future defense o
the United States a relatively simple
matter.
The enlisted men at Camp Gran
! have been here long enough to hav
definite opinions on the subjsct, an,
we want TO know what they thin
! about H."
3 What Serssants Think.
Here are some Of the remarks writ
ten BY various first sergeants:
,1 "The very apparent improvement
men in this battery proves oil stat
ments on the lines referred to In yor
letter. As for myself did not lik
! the idea Of going In the army whe
the draft men were called. Right no'
II would take a good sized army Q
any kind 10 get me to even think o
getting out Of the national army
I Robert J. O'Brien, Battery c, 12n
, field artillery
There is nothing that would dc
veiop a man more physically, mental,
and morally than the discipline in arm
hfe."-Harvey L. Hire. Company
3<2nd infantry.
q "We'fe for it.: let the army mas
man out Of you on the billboard
But now. as Ring Lardner's athlet
hero said TO the elderly lady on Il
train: You ought TO see us stripped
--Brsdlcy J. Smollen, Company
34Jrd infantry.
would Extend Time.
eff all the men in the national arm
feel as the men of Battery d d
there would be a period Of at least
year set aside for the training OF eve
young man at the age Of l9,"-Carn'
Battery D, 332nd field artillery,
''Iwas at first sergeant in the reg
lar army ten years ago, but ! can s.
that | never met finer spirit tn
exists in the national army, May G.
grant US compulsory training for I
sake of our future peace"-Jay 6, Ne
Company F, 543rd infantry.
military training is the making
a man"--George W. Barnes, Compa
J., 545rd infantry.