The Washington herald., 1917-01-22
Army and Navy News
Best service Ceiu.. I. Cffy.

Federal reserve army Of o.ooo 900 men
for American defense is the possible re-
suit OF a practical plan to be inaugurated
by the Congress of Constructive Patriot
ism. at its meeting to be held here Thurs
day Friday and Saturday The eaecu-
tion of the plan will be undertaken by
the National Security League. under
whose auspices the Congress will be held.
Universal military service is the basic
Idea, which, the preparedness experts of
the league say, is the only economic and
democratic solution of the preparedness
problem
The patriotic upheavaI promised by the
Congress will be followed with a nation
wide educational campaign further TO
arouse American patriotism. This, II is
maintained, Is essential to universal mill
tary training in a democracy. To this
end, university extension system on ma
tional patriotic topics will be conducted,
including lectures by nationally prominent
speakers throughout the country. The
program. it is announced, will present in
q conservative and impartial manner the
questions considered at the Congress.
Universal military training would. 1t is
said produce a reserve force at a rate
OF practically million men a year and
would, ultimately, under a recent esti-
mate of the Census Bureau of the num-
Der of men in the United States between
is and IS. place an army OF 2, 10000 men
at the disposal of Uncle Sam.
Elihu Root will sound the keynote of
the Congress, speaking on Americas
Present Needs" Howard Z. Coffin, chair
man of the committee on industrial pre-
paredness of the Naval Consulting Board
will present for the first time the results
achieved by that committee in mobilizing
$1,000 manufacturing interests.
Other prominent speakers will be Alton
b. Parker. Robert Bacon, former Attor-
ney General George w. Wickersham, Gen.
Luke L. Wright, former Secretary of
War; Rear Admiral Bradley A. Fiske.
u. S. N; Senator George E Chamber
lain. OF Oregon. chairman OF the Senate
Committee on Military Affairs: Senator
Duncan L. Fletcher. of Florida: Senator
George Sutherland, of Utah; Representa-
uve-elect Medill Mccormick, of the Chi
cago Tribune; Henry l. Stimson. former
Secretary of War; Charles Nagel, former
Secretary OF Commerce and Labor;
George Won l. Meyer, Secretary Of the
Navy during Roosevelt's administration
and others of national note.
As an appendix TO its report upon mob
ilization of the National Guard, the e1-
ecutive committee of the committee on
national defense. appointed by Mayor
Mitchell, OF New York, has made public
a digest of replies to a questionnaire cir
culated among employers.
Employers were asked to tell whether
they paid their employees absent with the
National Guard, how much time of they
would be willing to give their men each
year for military training and what in
their opinion was the correct national
military policy.
Banking, Insurance. transportation, min
ing and manufacturing. telephone ano
telegraph communication. wholesale and
retail mercantile trades-all were repre-
sented in the replies.
The effect of National Guard mobiliza-
ton upon business varied widely. and as
was to be expected. there was a differ
ence of opinton as to what constituted a
proper military policy. Yet there was
close approach to unanimity on the main
questions at issue.
II the 43l who wrote to the committee
are representative. there are three things
employers of the country are substantial
ly agreed upon:
THE country must have adequate mill
tary preparation
1The National Guard system is not
satisfactory.
3-There must be instituted some form
Of universal training. under Federal con-
troll. so devised that all citizens shall
contribute to the public defense. either
by actual military service or by bearing
fair share OF the cost
The policy Of employers as to the pay
ment OF men absent with the Guard
varied between allowance Of full pay dur
ing the entire period OF service and fall
ure to continue either pay or position.
Between these two extremes were numer-
Gus compromises.