Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-04-25
ANDERSON RAPS
VOLUNTEER PLAN
MINNEs sofa CONGRESSMAN AT.
TAckS HOUSE MILITARY
PROPOSAL.
SYSTEM
CLOSE TO ANARCHY
Works to Advantage Of Man Who
Would Escape Service and Not to
Benefit Of Volunteered eelares House
Measure Providing For Raising Army
"cowardIy Surrender to Expedieney.'

Washington, April 25.-Representa-
tive Sydney Anderson denounced the
house military committees plan for
raising an army by the volunteer sys-
tenn as a "cowardly surrender to eXpe-
dency." in a speech in the house Tues
day. He indorsed the selective draft
plan of the army general staff in strong
terms.
THE so-called volunteer system al
ways Is advocated in the name of and
for the sake of the volunteer, but 1t Is
not the man who Is willing to serve,
but the man who is unwilling to serve,
who profits by it's adoption" said Mr..
Anderson.
Even those who advocate it dare
not rest the safety Of the nation on 1t
alone. They assert we have but to call
for volunteers to get an immediate,
spontaneous and adequate response.
but they have not the courage of this
conviction.
Passes Buck to President.
IF they had this bill would call for
volunteers and stop there. Instead, the
bill provides for volunteering. but.
passing the buck to the president, au-
thorizes him to draft if sufficient
number do not offer themselves.
They exhibit the spirit which the
volunteer system always inculcates. 1t
is the spirit of Let George do it, Thus
the men with the highest sense of pub
lie duty and Of creates; usefulness and
spirit are sacrificed at the very first
Men who would be more useful in in
dustry go to the front. while those
whom industry could spare, stay at
home.
There are two fundamental oOjeC-
tons to the volunteer system. First it
takes those who ought not 10 20. and.
second. it eXempts those who ought
to 90.
False Appeal Made.
IF the plan proposed by the COM
nittee could be understood IN all its
weak yielding to prejudice and naked
suhversion of principle it could not
stand a moment. But this compromise
is veneered with reasonableness and
vanished over with false appeal to
patriotism
ut pretends to appeal to the patri-
otto Impulse of men to volunteer while
threatening them with the draft. It
pretends to invite men to serve, while
really affording a way to avoid service.
1T is charged in opposition to the
principle of selective draft that the
spirit of democracy and of liberty is
opposed to any form OF compulsion. Yet
we pass laws every day, the wisdom
and justice of which is denied by thou
sands, many OF whom willingly accept
them and all of whom are compelled to
obey them.
I'VE pass tax laws, the Injustice and
inequality Of which often are asserted
by those "ho pay, and not infreduent-
ly admitted by those who impose and
administer them, but all alike are
obliged to bear the burdens which they
impose, altho the burden may be heav
Ter on some than upon others.
Calls Doctrine Anarchy.
I'VE might as well say that only
those who admit the wisdom and just
tice of the law should be required to
obey it as to say that only those who
are willing to serve should be required
o~serve: that only those who volun-
teer 10 pay taxes should be required to
pay them, as that only those who vol
unteer to serve should be required to
serve. Such a doctrine is not democ-
racy-it is anarchy.
THE obligation to serve is a univeT-
sal obligation. and the government,
which represents the democracy of the
people, is in better position TO say who
shall serve, and when and how service
shall be rendered, than the individual.
almost without exception, every
war in which we have been engaged
has been unnecessarily prolonged by
the failure to adopt sound and vigor-
Gus policies at the outset by the vol
unteer system, by short enlistments by
yielding to mild preachments
I'VE can not now afford the unnecs
essary waste Of life and treasure which
q repetition OF those mistakes Will en-
tail. We do not know whether this war
will last three months or three years,
whether we will need 100000 men OF
5000, 900. Wisdom requires that we
base our calculations on the longer
period and the greater number.
Dare Not Risk Failure.
These considerations lead inevitably
to the adoption Of the selective draft
at once We dare not risk the failure
Of the volunteer system. We can not
afford to venture victory on compro-
mise.
II have no sympathy or patience
with the idea that we are making war
to democratize Germany than we would
have to make war to christianize the
Turks.
81 have even less sympathy with the
view that we are fighting alone to en-
able few men to risk their lives and
the peace OF the country on ships bel
ligerent or otherwise.
1--WE are fighting for the freedom Of
the sea for every man and every ma
ton. for the International policy Of the
United States and Its place among the
nations Of the world, for a voice in the
tgrms OF peace and in making the rules
which viii govern the conduct Of ma
lions and mold the designs and pur-
poses Of civilization when peace has
been once more established. To such
q purpose q man may we'll yield the
full measure Of his obligation to his
country.
1.-THE issue in this matter Is the priv
ilege OF the Individual to enlist or not
to enlist on the ono hand, and tho right
of the. government whose policies and
national life are at stake, to adopt
those measures which most certainly
make for success on the other. On such
an issue, prefer to stand with my
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