New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-12
Universal Service
Bill Should Be
assed at Once
The Only Safe and Honest Wav 8.
the Government to Deal with
the People

From The MdNpfaotur.rs' Record,
One Of the first acts to be passed b. -.
special session Of Congress should \.
universal military training, to take ef.e. !.
mediately.
II would be a shame upon our goy.rnr...
to depend upon the hgh-spirited. ps,,;,.:.
men who at the call Of the President vo,,,
volunteer. while millions OF others w,.,,
shirk their responsibility. The very fov..
Of the civilization Of this country. as w,.n.
case in England, would volunteer. Will. q.
one reason and another, some from cow,,s
| ice and some from a desire to mako man,
while their fellow men were fighting tb..
battles, would not be on the firing line.
! The only safe and honest way for -.
government 70 deal with the people Of ~.
land is to enact law for compulsory mili,s,x
service, not only to meet the present em,r.
gency, but for the future Thorough eo-.
pulsory military training OF the young me,
Of the country az they reach the milit.v
age would give an experience that is badv
needed to millions of young men who l,e,
the physical and moral development whIe,
would come from the discipline Of the army,
1t is universally recognized that militar,
discipline in schools and colleges is helm.
! full, and yet the students in these colleg,,
need this training and discipline far 10.
4 than the boys and young men who do no,
| have the opportunity OF going to a collee.
| Under compulsory military training ever,
element Of the country, foreign-born s,d
native, white and black the corner losi,,
| and the loafing son of the millionaire, vouu
| be given the benefit Of training which
would make for self-contro, for develcr.
ment of physical strength, for conservation
of physical and mental powers, trained and
! disciplined to understand this country. "a
recognize the American flag, and that aloha
as the flag of loyalty. The country woun
be welded into more homogeneous mass
and millions of people might be made 10 hsv.
a higher realization OF the meaning Of Law
and order and higher respect for authority,
/ The great foreign element of the country
would be brought TO clear understanding
OF what our country stands for, and w
should have under this system no such dis.
respect and disloyalty to the flag as We nov
see in evidence in many places.
Present conditions emphasize as nothing
else could have done the need Of this uni.
versal military training alike for the preser.
situation and to meet future conditions. Il
is pre-eminently important that in creating
an army TO meet the emergency Of the hour
I the country should not depend upon the
volunteer patriotism of It's people, but should
require every man to bear his full share
of the responsibility of protecting the cosn.
! try and maintaining civilization. Il is df.
fcult to think of anything more unfair than
! to expect volunteers TO risk their lives and
to give up their business out OF pure patriot
! ism while they know that they are doing this
; for the protection and the benefit OF millions
who are hiding behind them and who hops
| TO reap the benefits Of what the volunteers
may do.
In advance of any bill for universal CON.
pulsory military training, or as part OF 1.
there should be enacted a measure for sb
solu.e prohibition of all alcoholic drinks Ia
the army and around army camps, or, IN
fnitely better, an absolute prohibition Of The
manufacture and sale of alcoholic drinc
throughout the country. Secretary Daniels
to his everlasting credit, has abolished drink
! ing in the navy, and this is one reason bact
Of the attacks that are being made upon
| him. The whskey interests are powerful
enough to organize many campaigns OF slsh'
| der and Vltuperatlon against MIN anu @H'ss
many to criticise him who do not know that
they are being used as the tools Of ne
whskey gang. If the navy men abolish
whiskey, let the army do the same, and Is
pecially should the government do it before
it puts compulsory training into effect We
want to develop the young men of the nation
physically, mentally and morally by military
discipline and training and not to sap ten
moral character by surrounding them By re
curse of the rum seller