The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-07-01
Universal Military Training
BY HamIin Garland of The vigiIantes.

The world we knew in 1914 has passed away.
Germany has taught us the folly and the danger
of being unprepared. There can be no security
in our national life except we insure 1t by our
own methods Of defense
Our isolation is gone We are in the midst
aiof the Irresistible world stream of national
forces. Our armies are in Europe. When will
they be recalled? No knows.
There is but just democratic method OF
making war, and that is by universal draft
wherein every citizen is called upon to serve, &C
cording to his powers There must be no shlrK-
ing no shifting of pain and sorrow to others.
We must all do our share, and to do our share
we must have Misunderstanding not merely in
marching and shooting but in all the manifold
departments Of modern military service. First
Of all must be fit.
This training should start in the schools. ]
should like to the drill-the Setting up
drill" in use on every playground. Girls wei
as boys should be taught to stand erect, to walk
strongly and gracefully and to move in unison.
A mighty force for regeneration lies in this drill
AS a nation we have been for 20 years on the
down grade. Tenement life, apartment hotel
luxury, office and shop work, poor food and
foolish forms Of amusement have so Slapped the
vitality Of young men that an appalling
number OF them fail to pass the tests Of the ex-
aiming boards-and at the same time our
women present an even worse condition. Hob
BILE skirts high-heeled shoes, bad air. the use Of
tea and pastries and craze for ballroom
amusements and movie theaters have made
them a sad procession in our city streets.
The high -heeled shoe which women wear, and
the machine made pointed shoe Of the men Of
civil life are in themselves destructive of easy,
graceful and vigorous action. They are of enor-
nous Significance in the problem Of universal
training. Working girls who are on their feet
all day endure these torturing contrivances.
Men who walk many miles each day do so upon
SICK distorted feet. To correct these habits is
one Of the first rules Of military discipline.
Many Of these weakening tendencies can be
sharply counteracted by training in the schools,
by a drill which starts with design to make the
most Of the students physical endowment and
leads on to the inculcation Of habits of dress
and exercise which tend to build up and main
tain efficient body.
We can not all be soldiers in this line. We
least all walk like soldiers and be ready and able
cause.
Training Of this sort because it is universal
and democratic will not breed a tyranny We
need have fear of militarism. We shall all
remain citizen soldiers. The spirit Of such train
ing should be with 1t is in Switzerland
defensive not aggressive, patriotic and friendly
not tyrannical
Where all pay one is impoverished. Where
all serve no one Is exploited Where all are
soldiers no stigma attaches to the priVates uni
form. Already we see regard for the man
in khaki. The men who have served in the
trenches are now coming back to hallowed by
their sacrifice and pain. No one desecTates the
flag these days.
Our army is even citizen army-let us
keep it so by universal military training in the
schools from the primary gradeR up to the great
university. Only in this way, by building up a
vigorous and powerful reserve force of trained
and competent men and women can we safe
guard the republican form Of government which
we have so tonsomely achieved.