The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-06-11

Washington June 1l.-Former
President William Howard Taft, in
communication to the National Geo.
graphic Society, gives a graphic &C.
count of his impressions of the
Great Lakes Naval Training Station
near Chicago A part of the COM
munication is issued by the society
as a bulletin in its war geography
series, as follows:
1T is very interesting to compare
what the navy has done in its one
great cantonment at the Great Lakes
Naval Training Station, north of Chi
cago, with the many environments
built and used by the army. The
navy had $4,000 men to drill and
train, and this cantonment was,
therefore, about the same size or a
little smaller than the average army
cantonment.
1T is great permanent station,
with accommodation for some 1,200
or 1900 jackies in training, and OF
course this offers conveniences that
are used in connection with the can
Torment. The buildings are some
what more stoutly built. They are
painted and constructed on some
what different architectural lines,
both of which make them a little
more attractive to the eye. They
have also what the army has not
two very large drill halls. They gave
me a review of 1000 jackies in one
drill hall. and it was evident that
these halls in the winter season had
been of great advantage for needed
training in large bodies.
Another difference was the diff
ference in the age of the men. The
men were really between IS and %,
and in their naval uniform they look
ed like cadets Of a high or prepara-
tory school. They were under excel
lent discipline, as one could see They
needed. no instruction as to saluting,
for that seemed a second nature to
them, from the discipline they had
had. They were not as we'll able as
the older men to withstand the test
of my long addresses, and thought
I discovered a little more somnolence
among them than | did among the
drafted army. OF course, they were
not so mature, but they were very
bright, and they were certainly wei
drilled in the manual of arms ant
in the calsthcnics with their rifles
1t would be difficult to select a sit,
where the winter winds have free
sweep than at this training station
but the buildings seemed to be wei
heated and the command in excellen
health"
Taft Advocates Army of 100000
Men
Mr. Taft is an ardent advocate @
the movement to train an ovel
Whelming force for service in Europe
He adds in his communication to tn
Geographic Society the followin
plea:
"The law should be amended so a
to authorize the president to il
crease the army from 100000 t
100000 men with the colors, c
more, We must win the war, and W
should now lay our foundation
abroad so as to make that inevitabl
"Of course, airplanes, artiller
and other instruments of war al
necessary in modern campaign, an
we should increase the supply as fl
as our resources will permit, but
the end this war, as other wars, mu
w WIN w pUWcl, w
should look forward with large visiC
and make ample provision so as
strengthen our allies, give confiden,
TO our army and convince our en-
mics now of our determination to W
the victory.
81 am frequently much concern,
to gather in perfectly loyal quartz
the impressions that the war will
over in less than year. One m
note in many centers of sinister
luence suggestions that peace is
be brought about by negotiation wi
Germany. If this is the outcome
the war. it will be most humiliati
to the United States and will or
postpone further evil days for h
We have said, through our nation
spokesman, that we can have no CT
fldence in treaty made with "
liam of Hohenzollern and his Pr
E1~sNS1sasssAfsAAeSA:l ss~as.sfsse.