The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-03
Military Service Best
Insurance Against War.
That Is What Geo. NJ. Abbott
Tells R0tarianS.
PASS CHAMBERLAIN BILL NOW
This Is Time To Prepare for
Future Safety.
DIR. Van Horn Discusses Public
Health Conservation.

The spirit of universal military
trainin.5 and the spirit of Rotary for
the year 1918 was the spirit of the
meeting of the Topeka Rotary club
at a luncheon in the rooms of the
Chamber of Commerce at noon today.
Six Rotarians, Marco Morrow,
Waite johnson, DIR. S. S. Estey, DR..
C. B. Van Horn, Albert M. Patten and
c. p. Adams, presented resolutions in
both humorous and serious vein. The
resolutions were adopted unanimously
The Rotarians decided to postpone
a decision on the plan to meet weekly
and leave it with the board of direc-
tors.
club, gave an interesting and patriotic
| account of the meeting of the district
club at Wichita recently.
Address by Abbott.
Geo. NJ. Abbott, field secretary Of
the Universal Military Training league
! of Chicago, in his address before the
Rotarians, said in part:
1T is, indeed, a privilege to address
such a gathering as this in the capitol
| city of Kansas. 1t can be truly said
of Kansas as is said of the state from
which 1 hail: Not without thy an
cient story, can be writ the nations
glory The heart of Kansas has al
ways been true to the ideals of man
| kind. In the trying times just pre-
| ceding and during the great civil war
Kansas heroes and idealists stood like
a Wall of Men for the nation and its
place in the sun and 1 am persuaded
/ to believe that in everything conStruc
| tive during this most trying of times
| thru which our country is passing, she
will not be found wanting in the least;
| in fact many of your most eminent
| citizens are now engaged with the
| governmental work for the active and
strenuous prosecution of the war
| against the ruthless and cruel foe of
rJN 1tsrat iOrD lS0 r-nlry
suaded to believe, in fact 1 have every
reason to know after having inter-
! viewed many of the citizens of your
| state, men prominent in every walk
of life, professional men, politicians,
farmers and others, that Kansas will
be one of the states foremost in favor
ing a practical plan, not only of en-
deavor to prosecute the present war to
a successful conclusion but also fore
| most in favoring a plan to keep the
country out of war for all future time
by adopting a sane and practical sys-
tenn of defense which will at the same
| time build up our citizenship ma
ton to care for the dangers that be-
set orderly government from within
its own borders. 1t was Goldsmith, /
believe, who said tersely:
=" Ill fares the land to fastening ills
1 a prey.
Where wealth accumulates and men
| decay
eff I were asked why 1 am for uni
versa1 military training my answer
would be: Take a look at the first
young man in khaki who you find
on your streets Talk to him and
you will find him enthusiastic for the
training and associations which the
life in the environments affords. You
will also find him physically strong,
mentally alert, ambitious and efficient.
Train All Young Men.
1.-The Chamberlain bill provides that
every young man of this nation upon
arriving at the age of 10 years shall
enter a training camp and receive six
j. months intensive military training,
then he is sent home 20 melt into the
streams of industry, but if our coun-
try should be attacked in the kure
he has had training that will enable
him to give efficient military service
and with as little danger to himself as
possible. The system Deing universal
the son of the rich man, the son of the
poor man, the native and foreign born
lad each. have to take the training if
he is physically and mentally fit. The
exemptions are few and so arranged
that the principle is well maintained
! This association of the boys of the
nation, all engaged in a common cause
and receiving common education for
. patriotic defense will break down
, caste and build up better morale
: ! among our citizens. IT will also be a
great 'melting-pot' for the generations
! of the future. The better physical
health which the training will give our
boys will make them stronger physi-
, | cally, more efficient, virile and ambi-
tious and will give US stronger fathers
, for the future men and women of the
nation.
The experts of the army college
tell US that under the terms of the
: Chamberlain bill 100000 young mer
will be trained each year and as the
, system provides that they all shall
, return to the ranks of industry after