Norwich bulletin., 1917-02-05
ConsCription is
 Favored by Taft
TO BUILD UP ARMY FOR couN
 TRY's DEFENSE
TO EoUALIzE BURDEN
Would Require at Least Years Ser vice From Every Young Man Be- tween the Ages of 1s and 24 to Form Trained Force.

 Trained Force.
 New York, Feb 4.-Conscription to build up an army for the country's for the future as well. was advocated here today by Former President Will liam H. Taft in an address on the League to Enforce Peace before the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences.
 Stirred, as the people are, with enthu usiasm," at the break with Ger many, they would support a conscrip- | ton measure, MT. Taft believed, mot only to meet the present situation, I but flor the future after the war shall l end"
 Until now, he said, conscription has | been 'of-doubtful expediency." be- | cause popular opposition might have | halted all plans for reasonable pre- paredness.
 Military Duty a Necessity. | he eontiiued. "now that the people see ] the necessity, why should we not take l advantage of this state of public mind and do what justice and real part of every citizens duty. In this country, in the happy homes of pros | perity, fear many of the people have | lost the vital sense of their obliga- | I4OhS tO tLAC SofO1
 To Discipline Young Men.
 'very little service of any kind has l been exacted from the great body of | the people. Conscription is needed to | discipline our native young men and | to teach them respect for authority. I It is needed to teach our millions of newly created citizens loyalty. Stir red as they are by enthusiasm, spur l red as they are by immediate neces- | sity, they would support congress in
 enacting conscription law making | provision not only for the present but | for the future after the. war shall l end"
 A wholly volunteer system. he said, l takes the flower of the country,s 1 youth anxious to sacrifice themselves, and leaves behind those who can only
 be dragged in by ultimate resort to | law"
 To EqusIize the Burden.
 Why not equalize the burden at once? ?" he asked. Place it on all--Re- | quire at least years service with
 the co1crs from every man between
 1s and 24: This need not interfere
 conscription would furnish a perma-
 nent trained force from the body of
 the entire people to supply an ade-
 quate defense whenever defense is necessary
 ! In opening his remarks on con-
 scription, which were in the nature of a preface to his prepared address | on the League 10 EnIOrce HGaCG, MT.
 Taft said he had been asked to talk
 on constructive peace.
 Calls for Wise Action. 1 sIs this topic out of place when
 this country faces war as it does to- day?" he said. "I do not think so
 While all deplore our being forced in-
 to war and appreciate the sacrifice
 and the suffering it will entail, we
 should make it's hard necessities a
 reason for wise action looking not
 only to the immediate exigency of the
 war itself but also to our future pol 1 icy as a country and the future well fare of the world"
 Necessity for Preparedness.
 The present situation, he said
 should teach the absolute necessity
 for military preparedness for self l protection. We have no desire, he said, for, difficulties with Germany and | have done her no wrong, yet she ir | violation of our rights proposes to dc that which, if we value our honor i, and our vital interests, we must re- sist by force" There is nothing else l for a self-respecting nation of mora l principle to do. he declared.
 | What would be our situation today if the English navy were not between Jus and Germany?' he went on. Car ; I we afford to rely upon the protection of another nation always? would Wt ! l wish to do so? We ought not te 1 make this a temporary matter. Wt 1 ought to adopt measures to make us independent.
 Must Form Strong Army. Il "There is danger that even now the sense of protection that the forces , of the allies afford us as a barrier to German offensive may lull us into ; 1 a false security and weaken our sense 1 of dueyt to ourselves The navy VI l shall doubtless increase in power ant efficiency with all dispatch. For tho 1 army is likely to be of mushroom , l growth unless we look ahead It ii l ! said we cannot well use an army il this war Of all guesses, the limit . ing the extent or demands of wal is the least reliable. We must reso Iutely form @ strong army" Lesson of the Situation. 3 Another lesson of the situation, h. 1 said, is that general European war Ii | certain to involve us and that foI 2 avoiding war an international polic' must be organized of which the Unit t ] ed States must prepare to assume { 1 just share of the burdens. This war is a notice to us that : f change in our policy to our interna
 1 tfonai relations, is at hand, he said
 | land that the isolation which we hav' . heretofore enjoyed is thing Of tn 5 | past and that in our preparations t' | meet the needs of this present wa 3 we should have constantly in mind ; | preparation to take our proper par = in the councils of the world ana m tn' ! worlds joint action to prevent the re :. currence of another such disaSter t' the human race.
 ALL ARMoRiEs IN THE