The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1917-04-19
ROOSEVELT TELLS PLANS.

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Washington, d. c., April 17.-Col-
Theodore Roosevelt, in letters to Sena-
tor Chamberlain and Representative
Dent, chairman of the. congressional
military committee, detailed his plans
Tor raising and accompany a volunteer
expedition to join the allies on thu
western European battle front. He
heartily approved the administration'a
compulsory service program for pros
viding a war army, but insisted that
TToiaiitteSTs COuid De put on the FIRING
line in four months, and that the
American flag shout be there at the
earliest possible moment.
When here last week Colonel Roose.
welt saw the military committee chair
men after his conference with Presi-
dent Wilson, and they asked him to
submit his views in writing. II
Il most earnestly and heartily sup
| port the administration bill for proyid-
ing an army raised on the principle of
universal obligatory military training
and service said his letter. But, OF
course, a great system ofthis kind, a
| system entirely new in this country,
cannot be Immediately inaugurated
Many months, probably at least a year
or over, must elapse before the army
thus raised would be available for use
in Europe.
Meanwhile, let us use volunteer
forces in connection with a portion of
the regular army in order at the
earliest possible moment, within a few
months, to put our flag on the firing
line. We owe this to humanity. We
owe it to the small nations which have
suffered such dreadful wrong from
Germany. Most of all, we W it to
ourselves, to our national honor and
self respect. For the sake of our own
souls, for the sake Of the memories of
the great Americans of the. past, we
must that we do not intend to
make this merely a dollar war. Let us
pay with our bodies for our souls de-
sire. Let US without one hours UNI
necessary delay put the American flag
on the battle front in this great world
var Tor democracy and civilization aa1
for the reign of justice and fair deal
ing among the nations of mankind"
n colonel said he did not seek to
nave the volunteer system interfere
with or substitute for the obligatory
pan, but that except in certain ex-
cepted cases the volunteers should be
composed of men who would not be
taken under obligatory service. He
proposed an amendment to the act If
March 1, 1899, providing for the RAISING
OF 10000 volunteers, SO as to authorize
the president to raise a force of not
more thar 100000 Cor 200. 900 to SOC. 00C
later) for three years or the duration OF
! the war.
Under this act" the letter continued.
y should ask leave to raise, for imnae-
date service overseas with the first ex.
p~editionary force, an infantry division
of three regiment brigades and one d.
Vlslonal brigade of cavalry, together
with an artillery brigade, a regiment
OF engineers, a motorcycle machine CUR
regiment. an aero squadron, a signal
corps. the supply service, etc. I should
request h war department for the
detail of. say two officers for every
! LOCO men. I believe that acting unde,
the decision and with the aid of the de-
partment l could raise the division and
nave 1t ready to begin shipment tc
France in two or three months. Ny
idea would be to have thd intensive
training in gas work, bomb throwing,
bayonet fighting and trench work giver
in France; they would then be sent
into h e trenches when they were
thoroughly prepared"
Colonel Roosevelt referred to his
service in Cuba and concluded:
The regiment with which 1 first
served as lieutenant colonel and whic!,
afterwards commanded as colonel was
raised, equipped, drilled, mounted. dis
mounted, kept tws weeks on a traf.s
port and put through two victorious
aggressive fights in which it lost a
third OF h officers and a fifth of the
/ men, within &c days ali told