The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1918-07-30

these faults 1t will give us an ade-
quate army, for every man will take
training and be prepared to fight.
Universal military training is demo
cratic. The opponents of universal
military training say that it would
make US militaristic and autocratic.
They say that we would follow in the
footsteps of Germany and want to con.
quer the world. The United States
has always stood for democracy and
the rights of the nations and univers-
al training would not make us forget
these rights or disregard them.
1t is also argued that universal
training would make us a war-loving
nation. An editorial in the Indiana
polls News said. "No one but fanatic
really favors war. But to be in a po-
sition so helpless that years must
pass while an army is being trained
for self defense is equally fanatical."
There would be no chance for one
man to control the government and
the army as is the case in Germany,
for while the Reichstag and Budesrat
have practically no power, the House
OF Representatives and Senate have
power to put down any man who tries
to get control
1t is also argued that after the war
is over we will have universal peace
and we will not need training after
the war. No one knows how the war
will end and no one knows when it
will end, SO it cannot be argued that
we will not need military training
after the war is over for we do not
know whether we will or not.
They also argue that if we would
disarm we would have universal peace
and no one would want war. To carry
their argument to it's logical conclu-
sion we should disband our police
force on the theory that crimes would
cease and to do away with the fire de-
partment in order to prevent fires.
This is absurd for as long as the evil
lasts We should be prepared to fight
If we would kill every German on the
earth that would not put an end to
militarism and autocracy There
would be other men that would favor
1t and would try to conquer the world.
Universal military training would
be beneficial to the men who take it.
1t will develop their minds and make
them quick-witted, alert men. 1t will
teach them discipline and make good
citizens Of them. Military authorities
agree that the morale Is better in ar
mics raised by universal training than
by any other method 1t also revel-
ops their bodies and makes them
healthy and able to endure hardships
Universal training would benefit
the nation. We would be respected by
the different countries. The reason
Germany did not respect us and dis
regarded our rights was because she
knew that we were not prepared to
fight. She thought she could whip the
allies before we got ready to fight.
Universal training has been benefi-
cial where is has been tried. 1t has
been successful in Argentina. 1t was
beneficial in France. In fact, it was
all that saved France from defeat in
1914. If she had had an army like
ours she would have been defeated
Japan has universal military training
and 1t had been beneficial both to the
individual and the nation
Switzerland has always had an ade-
quate army to protect herself and she
has gained the respect and admiration
of the world by her system of univer-
sal military training.
Therefore, since universal military
training is necessary, and since it is
democratic and has been beneficial,
the United States should adopt it.