The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-01-26
PROTESTS AGAINST
.IATtMPERA1t MEMORIAL
Maryland League for National Defense
Gets Very Courteous Call Down
From President.
CONDEMNS EXISTING SYSTEM
Urges Universal Military Training
President Says Training Can Be Had
Without a System of Compulsory
Service.

Washington. Jan. 25.-A large stand
ing army is preferable TO compulsory
military training at the present time,
President Wilson told delegation
from the Maryland League for National
Defense at the White House today. The
delegation presented n memorial urg-
Ing universal training and bitterly
criticising the present military system
NO service except a standing army
with professional soldiers prevents
that occasional and frequent withdral-
al of men from civil pursuits" said
the President. THAT may be newt
able. but what you are proposing does
not meet the difficulty which you con-
denim"
1T is receiving serious consideration
with the country" continued President
Wilson. " and we in Washington, OF
course. share and feel the great tides
of opinion In the United States"
The Presidents formal announce
ment of his position on universal train
Ing was as follows:
Gentlemen: I do not need to prove
to you or anybody my deep interest
In this subject | will frankly say
to you I would have been more i'm
pressed by this memorial Ii 1t had been
expressed In more restrained language.
From some of the unqualified state
ments in this paper I must frankly
dissent. l think II due to my col
leagues on the hill to say that at this
off-hand condemnation of the system
which they adopted after long de-
bate upon the urgency of many of the
leading citizens of the country. It is
the least that I can do. You do not
commend a cause which deserves the
most serious consideration by present
ing 1t as you have presented 1t.
These things impress me the more
after what we have heard from tho
medical societies, UnQuestionably.
physical training Is needed and will
accomplish q great deal. but II can
be had without compulsory military
service. and compulsory military SER
vice does not meet the difficulties
which you have alluded TO. Any brief
service in the army OF the United
States w!thdraws mon from civil pur-
suits just as much rs the recent ser
vice on the border does. No service
except q standing army with profess
sional soldiers prevents that occasion al
and frequent withdrawal Of men from
civil pursuits. That may be newt
able. but what you are proposing does
not meet the difficulty which you con-
denim. These things are OF the utmost
intricacy and difficulty and are not to
be settled ex cathedra, and yet not
withstanding the fact that I think you
have gone too far. will say to you
that, Of course, this will have my most
serious consideration. 1t Is receiving
serious consideration with the coun-
try and we In Washington. OF course.
share and feel the great tides of opin-
Ton in the United States. I am sure
that. speaking. II I may speak, for
the members OF the House of Repre-
sentatives and Senate. we are all de-
sirous of doing the wise thing for the
defense OF the country. and II must
and will be done. but we must not
close debate by having too dogmatic
an opinion as to method. I know
that you will understand the spirit
in which I make that protest and this
statement"
The Maryland delegations memorial
urged that the President recomm end to
Congress the enactment OF q law pro-
viding for universal military training
az once.
Is receiving a striking illustration from
the spectacle now presented on our
Mexican border" tho memorial sets
forth. There we have men doing po-
lice duty in time OF peace who ought
never TO be called upon for military
service, away from their homes, ex-
cept as a. last resort II 10 a scanda-
lous waste. Of public money to have
this police work done by citizen SOL
diers,-