Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-04-16
Former President Fully En-
dorSes Plan of SeIeCtive
Draft but Wants Volunteers
Called for Also,
DETAILS SUBMITTED TO
MILITARY COMMITTEES
Could Have Division Ready to-
Sail in Two Months; 'lnten-
Sive Training Should Be in.
France,

Washington, ApFH l0'--Soloiioi
Roosevelt, in letters today to Senator
Chamberlain and Representative Dent,
chairmen of the congressional mill
tary committees, detailed his plans ror
raising and accompanying volunteer
expedition to join the allies on the
western European battle front lie
heartily approved the administrator
compulsory service program for pro.
yiding a war army, but insisted that
volunteers could be put on the firing
line in four months and that the
American flag should be there at the
earliest possible moment.
When here last week, Colonel
Roosevelt saw the military committee
chairmen, after his conference with
President wilson ana rhey asked hltn
| to submit his views IN writing.
Il most earnestly and heartily sup
port the administration bill for pro-
viding an army raised on the princI'
pie of universal obligatory military
training and service said his letter
Would Help at Once.
But of course, great system OF
this kind, system entirely new in this
country, cannot be Immediately in
augurated. Many months, probably
at least year or over, must elapse
before the army thus raised would be
available for use in Europe.
"Meanwhile let US use volunteer
forces in connection with a portion of
the regular army in order at the earl
| lest possible moment, within few
months, to put our flag on the firing
| line. We owe this to humanity we
owe to the small nations who have
suffered such dreadful wrong from
Germany. Most of all, we owe it to
ourselves. to our national honor and
self-respect. For the sake Of our souls
for the sake OF the memories of the
great Americans of the past, we must
show that we don't intend to make
this merely a dollar war. Let us pay
with our bodies of our of souls de-
sire Let us without one hours unnec-
cessary' delay put the American flag
on the battle front in this great world
war for democracy and CIVILIZATION
and for the reign of justice and fair
dealing among the nations of man.
kind"
Fayors Conscription.
! The colonel said he did not seek to
have the voluntary system interfere
with or substitute for the obligatory
plan, but that except in certain ex'
cepted 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, 1899, providing for the rails
ling of $4,000 volunteers, so as to au-
thorize the president to raise a force
of not more than 100000, and from
200, 900 to 100000 later for three
years or the duration of the war.
| "Under this act" the letter contin-
ued, IT should ask leave to raise, for
immediate service overseas with the
| first expeditonary force, an infantry
division of three three-regiment bri-
gades and one divisional brigade OF
cavalry, together with an artillery
brigade, a regiment of engineers, "a
motorcycle machine gune regiment
etc.
I Would Want Experts Along.
81 should request the war depart
ment for the detail of say two Off
GERS for every thousand men. l be-
lieve that acting under the direction
and with the aid of the department
could raise the division and have II
ready to begin shipment to France in
| two or three months; my idea would
be to have the intensive training In
gas work, bomb throwing, bayone'
fighting and trench work given ir
France; they would then be sent into
the trenches when they were
thoroughly prepared"
Colonel Roosevelt referred to his
service in Cuba, and concluded:
"The regiment with which 1 frs
served as lieutenant colonel and which
afterward commanded, was raised
equipped, drilled, mounted, dismount
ed, kept two weeks on a transport an6
put through two victorious aggressive
fights in which it lost a third of the
officers, and fifth of the men, with
in sixty days. all told"