The Washington herald., 1917-04-23
Pass the Draft Bill.


II anv citizen Of this country does not
know exactly what the "selecuve dratt
feature of the administrators weh-pAn'
ned army bill means let him read Pre-'-
dent wilson's Illuminating letter to KEEP
resentative Helvering, of Kansas, >rlnt-
ed In this mornings Post. Not only VIII
he obtain knowledge but he should sls'
become convinced that the draft olI IL
the only solution OF our army problem
We are not abandoning the volunteer
principle by adopting a seiective draft.
as the President makes clear. There VIII
be plenty of room for the volunteers in
the regular army and the Nauonal
Guard. But the bill finely inculcates che
truly American principle that with CID
Zenship goes also the duty to serVe-the
universal duty. not the duty OF tew'
either rich or poor. It provides Tor the
only true democracy In arms.
And why "seIectiye7'' The Presidents
letter answers that question better than
any one else could, perhaps. The IDEA
of the selective draft" IT says, lis that
those should be chosen for service In the
army who can be most readily spared
from the prosecution Of the other ac-
tivities which the country must engage
in and to which 1T must devote great
deal Of its best energy and caracity. The
volunteer system does not do this. "hen
men choose themselves they sometimes
choose without due regard 20 their other
RESPONSIBILITIES" That argument il con-
elusive. "ss
EmotionaIism or Efficiency
uouisvills Courier younGll
The spirit Of the volunteer always must
be inspiring to the neighbors who wit
ness the spectacle Of the boys OF the
neighborhood offering their services to
their country by answering the call to
the flag, but in view Of the lesson in war
which the world has received from Eu-
rope through the columns OF the press
is not the question today whether the
United States shall wage war OF emo
tionalism or a war Of efficiency? Shall
we form an army that can fight and send
1t to France when 1t can be useful, or
shall we raise a flag. give three cheers
for courage and send an unframed ard
unorganized mass Of patriotic boys? Shall
war be made as romantic as possiola, at
the cost of a needless waste Of money
and men? Shall we have selective
draft, after the units OF the regular army
and the National Guard have been filled,
or shall we have volunteers?
II should be borne in mind that when
a boy volunteers he "goes the limit for
his country. He offers his time and his
life, in other words his all. The country
which takes charge OF him owes to him
a heavy responsibility to take as good
caro- of him as possible; to make him a
fighting man, and not mere cannon fod-
der. Recent experience in Europe has
shown that in modern military science
there Is no place for the tnsuficiently
trained body of men labeled a company
or a corps" Experience has sdown
that an army must be as hard as nails
as the result OF training-to be worth tts
food and clothing at the front. History
proves-and very recent English history
proves-that volunteer forces hastily
made up are visited by a mortality rate
in action out of all proportion to their
military value. The young patriot who
goes into the army to do his bit Is not
at fault IL he is sacrificed to haste and
a loose system of training and marshall
ing forces. His country is 4t fault. and
Is responsible for avoidable slaughter, II
1t sends him to battle in the ranks of an
i'll prepared army.