The Washington herald., 1918-01-10

A large question Is likely to come up
in this country for political settlement
within the next year or two. Lines
Of cleavage upon 1t are going to be
without regard to party. But this will
not prevent the very energetic waging
OF a political encounter upon it
The question has to do with the fu-
ture OF our military activity in this
country. Universal training is one part
OF 1t. There are other parts OF 1t
quite as important as this, and upon
which there will be quite as pro-
nounced differences Of opinion.
The coming OF peace will hasten the
coming of this great question to a
head. It may be delayed for the great
er part, until that time. although the
universal training section will most
certainly be fought out before the ar
rival of the tabled dove.
The greatest headway made toward
an ideal settlement of the question
was in the inferences drawn by some
OF the members OF Congress from the
Presidents message. The section re-
lating to disarmament meant TO them
or will until the President says some
thing more specifc-that disarmament.
after the war, will be generally en-
couraged among those nations that
really want an enduring peace in the
world.
There are many very good people
in this land who are insistent that
universal military training and a Wig
orous after-war policy are not only
to be desired. but urged as a necessity.
There are many other very good peo-
pie who believe that universal train
ing should not be promoted at this
time, and that no thought should be
taken OF what our military status
will be after the war. The pacifists
are to be numbered in this group. but
they do not make up its principal part.
There are proponents of this plan
who are for the present for unrelent-
ing prosecution of the war. who have
been for war for two or three years.
and who have been sturdy friends Of
any cause that meant death to Ger
man despotism.
And there are members OF Congress
who are taking little account of the
matter. They possess the sanguine
belief that the President will speak his
mind on the matter when 1t comes to
a showdown. They believe he will
take the precise ground that will con-
form to Americas general plans in
the remodeling of the world. They
are favorable to leaving the matter
to the President. They want to do
just what he says, and they do not
want to do anything, in this vital
matter, which he does not counsel.
An influx OF kilograms from spots
L. I.-N
Gates of preparation measures indi-
Gates that a studied fight is being or
ganized to pass, the universal train
ing bill at the present session. This
is the bill which many members think
is most obnoxious to any clear-cut
disarmament scheme we may have for
postwar use.
Some members of Congress. looking
over the Presidents unexpected mes
sage to Congress on American war
aims, say very frankly that it would
be the height of inconsistency, to in
dorse the universal military training
bill and then endeavor TO conform to
the Presidents outline of aims. And,
naturally enough. the friends of the
legislation say II is all very well to
have those aims. and they are for
them. But the protective legisla-
ton is necessary and we should not
be caught unprepared" for any fu-
ture war that might come.
Analysts have not started their
chorus in Congress as to the ef-
feet of such promilitary legisla-
tion on the world, but they soon
will get busy. They will point out
that, il we are to denounce mill
tarism. we cannot at the wars close
install a more formidable military
program in this nation than we had
at the outset of the war. This
would arouse the suspicion of the
countries of the world. and it might
seriously embarrass peace negotia-
tions. Moreover, IL pursued with
some relentlessness, for some time
after the war, II might reduce all
the treaties to scraps of paper. At
least. so several members declare,
1T would mean that all other ma
tions could not be blamed for in
stalling universal military training
in their affairs-and then we would
be back, in q few years or decades,
to where we started from, with the
probability that some of the coun-
tries would be ready to leap into
another war.
But the question is not to be set
tied here in Washington. The people
are going to have an opportunity
to speak on it The friends of the
proposed war legislation are anxi-
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