The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-01-29

The present european Wal Ids
brought home 10 many thinking Amer
leans the folly OF continuing to depend
upon Il military system based on vol
uutary enlistment, because such sys-
tenn places Il premium on seltlShnesS
and Sinking instead Of, compelling
eyery able-bodied man, rich or poor,
high or low, alike. 10 do his snare 10
protect his country. SO great mas
been the agitation in favor of uniVer-
sal training OF the young men between
the ages Of is and % years as tho
only solution Of our military problem.
that careful study OF the military
systems adopted by other countries
where the conditions are similar 10
our own. has become imperative.
Switzerland. Australia and the Areeh,
tine Republic have all established
systems Of universal military training.
The first two have been the subject OF
much writing and discussion, but COM
paratively. little is known in this coun-
try about the Argentine system-per-
haps the most remarkable.
l. About sixteen years ago there was
a lively dispute between Chile and
the Argentine on the subject Of their
boundaries. and as tho former pos
sessed a conscript army her demands
prevailed The Argentinos then awoke
to a realization OF the necessity FOR
STRENGTHENING their military forces
and, in spite of the most strenuous
opposition on the part OF those who
claimed that their constitution,
which was modelled after that of the
United States-would be replaced by
tyranny, the progressive ideas OF men
who had studied modern interna tional
conditions prevailed. On December s,
1901, compulsory military service be-
came q law. Interest In their army
and an appreciation that its welfare
was vital to the national existence
soon spread to every home. and those
who through ignorance had been the
most bitter opponents OF compulsory
service were shortly transformed into
its most hearty supporters. The rich
mans son ceased to be an idler; the
employer discovered that The man
who had bad military training was
physically filter, more obedient. more
courteous and respectful because OF
his recognition OF authority. and
therefore a better cmploYe than the
ucn who bad received no such train.
ig The government became more
stable, the men-many OF them sons
Of European emigrantS - were i'm.
proved physically and morally and
moulded into clean. law-abidins Ar
gentinos instead OF being permitted
10 cling 10 their foreign customs and
traditions. Crime diminished, the
country developed industrlally and
commercially Indeed. tho Argentine
has enjoyed moro prosperity since 1t
adopted universal military service
many times over than It did in the
eighty years when it's armed forces
were composed OF paid mercenarles.
The law to which a!lusiop has been
made renders every male citizen and
every male of foreign parents born in
the Argentine liable for military train
ing and service for twenty-five years.
They are classified into recruit con-
tinEents according to the year "
birth. Service usually begins in the
January following the twentieth birth
day. Active service with the cOlors
is limited to one year in the case OF
the army, two in the navy. The man
is then transferred to the reserve Of
the standing army for nine years. fol-
lowed by ten years In the National
Guard and five In the Territorial
Guard His liability for service does
not terminate until December 31st OF
the year in which his forty-fifth birth
day occurs.
AS has been stated above, the Ar
sentine system includes every male.
When the annual contingent reports
for duty, the number who arc re-
Quired for the army and navy are
assigned by lot from among those
who are found physically qualified for
service The number of men needed
for the army and the navy each year
is nearly always less than the number
forming the annual contingent. Thus,
although the entire male population is
liable for military service, all of them
are not necessarily called upon to