New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-12-28
MIL|TRY TRAINING
SHOULD COMMENCE
AND GO RIGHT ON
FORMER PRESIDENT SAYS
NO REASON TO FEEL DIS
COURAGED, BUT COUNTRY
MUST FACE UNPLEASANT
FACTS, CORRECT FAULTS
BY Theodore Roosevelt, Copyright.
1917, by The Kansas City Star. Used
bv special permission.

Oy Speclal permission.
Senator Chamberlain has rendered
a public service by presenting the
bill to provide universal obligatory
military training for all the young
men Of the nation. Senator Wads-
worth has rendered a public service
by pushing the senatorial investiga-
ton of our lamentablc military un-
preparedness. Congressman Medill
Mccormick has rendered public
service by showing that we have
heavily burdened our war worn ally
France, by demanding from her the
guns which it was inexcusable in Us
not previously to have built.
These three services all hang to-
gether. Senator Chamberlain's pro-
posal is to supplant selective con-
scription after war has begun by un-
iversal service, which would proba-
bly, mean the avoidance of war al
together. 1t was a grave misfortune
that at the outset of this war we did
not call for a million volunteers and
at the same time put all the young
men between lo and % into the train
ing camps. There has been some very
gross favoritism in granting exemp-
tion and. moreover. the men between
% and 81 include high percentage
of married men and of others who
ought not to go to war at present.
This unwisc. wasteful and inefficient
system should not be patched up. The
nation sorely needs, both as war
measure and as permanent policy,
the immediate introduction of uni
versal military training and service
for all. our young men as proposed
above.
Results Are Inevitable
Senator Wadswo and represen-
tative Mccormick are in straight
forward fashion showing the inevi-
table results of the policy of un-
preparedness which we have follow
ed for three and half years, and
which the administration, through
secretary Baker, now actually ad-
vocates as our permanent policy
Senator Wadsworth has shown be-
yond possibility of anything except
wilful Misrepresentation that he has
no partisan purpose whatever and
that the investigation is design ed
solely to rouse the government and
the public to greater efforts in speed
ing up the war. The committee on
military of the senate is showing no
partisanship. They realize that we
cannot win the war merely by an
nouncing programs. They realize that
we have a long road to travel and
that we have made slow start.
They wish to help the administra-
ton and, in order to do this, it is
to tell the truth.
Get Truth And Have Faith
Some of the fault for the pres
ent situation is due to the short
coniings OF individuals during the
last ten months, but the major part
is due to our failure as nation
to embark on the policy of prepared
ness three and half years ago. Nine
tenths of wihdom is being wise in
time. Now our people must brace
to face unpleasant truths
There is not the slightest reason for
If we choose we
can, through our governmental rep
resentatives, quickly remedy the de-
fects and then exert with decisive
effect our tremendous latent powers.
But we need to know the truth and
then to act with instant and resolute
efficiency and with single minded