South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-02-28
MILITARY TRAINING
IS ADVOCATED AS
BOON To YOUTH
PreS't Gross of Universal
League Addresses Rotary
Club on Wednesday.

day noon before the South Bend
Rotary club at the organizations
weekly luncheon at the oliver no
tel by r.. III. Gross OF Chicago, presi-
dent Of the Universal Military
league. who was present as a spec
tally invited guest Of the club. Mr..
Gross made many telling points in
favor Of his %country's adopting uni
versal military training, and hand
led the pacidst question without
gloves.
subject Growing i'm Popularity.
In part Mr.. Gross said:
"NO other subject has grown in
popular favor so remarkably as that
T., support OF training every boy for
az least six months. in his 18th year.
in a federal training camp. The
bows OF this country need discipline
ard training. They must be taught
10 respect law and obey properly
constituted authority. They must
learn that liberty is TO be had with
I'm the law and not outside Of it. Be
fore the subject was understood
many good people feared that such
training would Prussianize n
country and make us "a warlike ma
ton. Nothing could be farther from
the truth. The German plan puts
the boy into the regular army for
two and three years Of actual ser
vice. The plan we urge under the
Chamberlain bill takes the boy, puts
him in a federal training camp,
gives him the discipline and train
ing SO necessary TO correct his men
tai viewpoint. 10 build him up n
health and visor. TO teach him the
fundamentals Of civil government
and the duties and responsibilities
OF citizenship and sends him back
home a stronger and better man n
every way. Militarism, or military
domination requires three things
that We do not have. First "a war
lord. a king or kaiser; with power
10 declare war. a strong army SUD
ject to his will. and the spirit of
conquest.
No Root for Nnitarism.
"AIilitarism never has. nor can IL,
take root in a democracy. As a a
ton we are a loving, long suf-
fering. and have not in any degree
the spirit Of conquest. In the Span
ish-American war cuba came TO rs
By the fortunes Of war, and instead
of keeping it as most nations would
have done. we turned the island W
10 the Cuban people n helped
them establish self government. The
Philippine islands came 10 us when
Dewy sunk the Spanish fleet and we
have been trying ever since to fit
the Filcpina for self government.
When war was oyer and Spain was
thoroughly thrashed, we did not de-
mand indemnities. but we actually
paid her $50. 600, 600 TO bind up her
wounds. At the time of the Boxer
rebellion in China. it was proposed
hv certain powers 20 dismember
China and take a portion of her ter
ritory. and II was only the influence
of our great secretary Of state, John
HAY. that prevented t.. China was
required to pay heavy damage to
the various nations involved. The
part coming to us was paid back 70
her. The record is clear, that no
government i'm the world need fear
aggression from the United States.
and. finally, can anyone by the
~rreatest stretch of the imagination
for a moment believe that six
months of discipline and training IN
our splendid federal training camps
would make the boys a enace 20
their country.
Quotes Prcs't Wilson.
.'Our distinguished president
closed mis- great message To CON
crcss ON Feb. To with these words:
THE powcr OF the United States is a
menace To no nation or people. It
will never Doe used I'M aggression or
for the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of m
selfish interest of our own. II springs
out az freedom and Is for the SER
vice Of freedom
The training camps are almost
performing miracles. They take the
narrow-chcsted. stoop-shoufdered
awkward and ungaiuly youth. and
I'm a few months -hey make him
every inch a man. He is taught self
control. given a fine figure, increased
lung power. greater efficiency and
FAR greater endurance. IL speeds up
his mentality, and makes him "A
strcucer and better father Of fu-
sure generations. The training
ramps are the real melting pot
that takes BOYS from an walks of
life native and foreign born. teaches
them the patriotism of service. love
FOR the flag. and makes them loyal
american citizens. such training
viii break up the s-traunCation into
which our citizenship is forming, IL
viii knit together lines Of cleavage
that are appearing, it viii lead 70
H.Hrmn rHn~lrrrHra nrrn~m HHn