The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-02-16

adjective one may use shrivels in
inadequacy.
And the awful carnival of murder
in Europe induces parallel currents
of hysteria in the lawabiding nations,
even in the United States. This shows
itself in the sudden demand for mill
tarization at home as defense
against possible attacks from militar-
ism abroad. Out of this has arisen
the plan to give militay drill to the
boys in the High School as part of
National defense"
No one can read the future, but the
past experience of the world indicates
that our boys of today will not be
obliged to fight in any war. Every
great war has made the world sick and
tired of warning, and has been follow
ed by prolonged peace. At the end
of the widespread religious and dy.
nastic wars of the sixteenth and later
centuries it was resolved that the
same causes at least should not bring
on great conflicts again. We hope
the great contest for domination and
exploitation which is on us now will
also be the last of it's kind. There
is no hurry about arming our American
boys. We can wait little to see how
Europe comes out.
In my judgment voluntary military
drill is misuse of time that might
generally be better employed. Com
pulsory drill is thoroughly evil as an
invasion of Individual liberty and as
an entering wedge of a movement SUBJ
vrsive of democratic freedom.
AS an exercise, voluntary drill is
far inferior to well-ordered gym
nasium work. Experts in physical
training generally condemn it. The
obedience it teaches is of the lowest
kind and in degree it tends to pro-
mote what is called the martial spir-
it." This may have it's good side, but
it generally spends itself in pride of
display and in courage directed
against an imaginary enemy. The
idea of patriotism is degraded to
hatred of the "enemy" and a desire
to kill him. 1t tends to turn the
boys mind away from the real en-
emies that beset every society, foes
within, not to be fought with swords
and guns.
Even militarized Prussia has never
placed military training in any school
from the kindergarten to the uni
versity, except in those schools de-
voted entirely to that purpose. No
nation, so far as l know, has ever
placed such drill in secondary or high
schools. The intrusion of military
affairs impairs the effectiveness of
other instruction, while having little
or no value for war purposes. More
over, such training would effect lit
tie, as the vast majority of boys avail
able for military drill are outside the
gymnasium and the university.
In Australia, boys from fourteen to
twenty years of age are placed in
military camps for about eighteen
days each summer, such training
having no connectiaon with the
schools. In Switzerland, every man,
non-exempt, from 20 to 4S years
of age is drawn into military
service. The exempt pay a special
fee in place of drill. The recruits are
divided into classes on the basis of
competitive examinations, physical
and mental. The "elite" or chosen
class, drill for seven periods of eleven
days each, chiefly in rifle practice,
the others mostly for one such period
each year. The Australian system
was established in view of an absurd
and baseless fear of an invasion by
Japan. That of Switzerland rests on
well-grounded distrust of some of
her neighbors.
1t is quite true that here and
there are teachers who successfully
use military forms for training boys
in good manners, good morals and
the diligent use of time. But such
training would be better if the "mus-
ket" and the "enemy" were left out
of it. The "Boy Scout" movement
has shown this, and we may be sure
that the skill in woodcraft, roadcraft
and towncraft this movement fur
nishes is better training even for a
future soldier than anything the
"High School Cadet Corps" can give.
Compulsory drill in the High school
would introduce other and more sin
lister elements. The course of study
already overloaded, would thus have