Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-05-15
TRAINING MUST
AFFECT ALL MEN
Field Secretary of Universal
Training League Here to
Arouse Sentiment.
BILL NOW UP IN CONGRESS
Chamberlain Plan Would Mean
Uplifting of Race Physi-
cally and Mentally.

William r. Simpson, field secretary
of the Universal Military Training
league of Chicago and New York, is
in Tulsa this week securing indorso-
ment Of the Chamberlain bill. soon
to be acted on by congress.
The men back OF this movement,
all of whom are nationally well
KNOWN he said yesterday, started
THIS propaganda some months ago
because they could see that war had
become inevitable and that the time
To adopt compulsory universal train
ing and service was in advance OF the
need Tor an army The fact that the
country SO strongly indoIsed compul-
sory service as the faircst and most
democratic way to raise an army now,
is an evidence that the campaign has
been successful, In that there is lett
little or no opposition to the draft
However. the bin just passed of
course takes care of the present
emergency only and does not solve
the problem OF permanent prepared
ness. IL viii require passage of the
Chamberlain bill To do that. This
bill provides for six months of in
tensive military training of every
young man between the age of 10
and 20 at government expense. The
men 80 trained automatically become
members of the reserves ana are sub
ject to call for national defense only
Obligation Unchanged.
This training would not in any
way increase the obligation to serve.
That obligation already exists. 1t
simply raeans that when called the
reservist would already have been
trained and his services Immediately
available. 1t is easy to imagine what
our situation would be now If this
war had involved invasion of the
United States. Ne are fortunate IN
that we can wait a year to train an
army before its services are required.
Had universal military training been
adopted two years ago, as adN ocatcd
so strongly by the general staff ana
war college at Washington, we would
now have available over IA million
plcn alregIly trained and ready for
service. In this era in the world $
affairs, it is inevitable that the United
States adopt "A system of training its
citizens for defense. This country
and China are the only two nations
of importance on earth that have not
already awakened to the necessity for
so doing. We do not need and cannot
afford huge standing army in tine
of peace, but what we do need and
must have is an ineXhaustible supply
of trained men from which to draw
I'm time of war. Universal liability to
service has received the stamp of APP
proval of the president. congress and
tho people. II only remains now to
put into effect Z system of universal
military training to give the nation
protection unequalled by any other
on earth. An efficient navy, backed
by millions of trained, loyal citizens,
would make us impregnable from at
tack without"
Prominent Directors.
The Universal Military Training
league numbers on Its board OF d.
rectors and advisory committee John
Purroy Mitchell, mayor of New York;
ex-Secretary of State Robert Bacon;
Secretary of War Henry l.. Slim
son; Cyrus II. X. Curtis, publisher OF
the Saturday Evening Post, Cardinal
Gibbons; George w. Perkins; II. NJ.
Pyllesby, well known in oklahoma as
controller OF gas and electric com
panies; Harry Pratt Judson. president
of the University OF Chicago; II. 4.
Ripley. president of the Santa F'e
railway, and many others Of equal
prominence. The president OF the
league is Howard II. Gross of Chicago,
who Is widely Known from his con
nection as president with the tariff
league, which organization success
fully conducted a campaign for crea-
ton OF the nonpartisan tariff com
mission, recently appointed.
The Chamberlain bill referred to
will come before congress for action
at this session and undoubtedly OK
lahoma's representatives VIII want to
know .he sentiments OF their con-
stituents in the matter. Citizens gen
orally are therefore urged To write
and telegraph their support OF the
measure.
Mr.. Simpson is registered at Hotel
Tulsa and will remain here two or
three days.