The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-08-14
MILITARY TRAINING BILL
OPPOSED BY JOHNSON
Says Measure savors Too Much of
German MlIltarism to Suit
Vermonters.

Vermonters.
Montpelier Aug. 12.-Adjt. Gen
Herbert T. Johnson of Montpelier, in
opposing Sections 8 and "a of the
training bill, sets forth many clean
cut arguments that are of keen inter
est to the residents of Vermont and
especially those youths who are now
in their 10Th year.
He says in part
These sections, in my opinion
should be brought to the attention of
the people of the state. Section 8
provides for CONSUMPTION of youths of
IS into the regular army or navy for
one and one-half years in time of
peace and they could then be sent to
any part of the world that the United
States sends its troops. | do not
believe that the people of Vermont
want any such bill as this enacted in
to law do not wish to be under
stood as opposing universal training
for | am a firm advocate of a COM
pulsory military training act. ! be-
lieve that universal military training
is a necessary step toward adequate
national preparation and for the prop
er development OF the citizen soldier
OF the nation, but this section of this
bill goes way beyond the necessities
and savors too much of German mill
tarism to suit the people of this coun-
try. Section "a, dealing with the Ma
tional Guard, is step backward and
is an attempt evidently to belittle the
National Guard and relegate it to the
status of purely state police force
and as this branch Of the service
proved beyond any question its value
to the nation in the past war every
effort should be made to strengthen
it in the future as upon this branch
of the army the nation would have to
depend in the first shock of sudden
conflict.
There was introduced on August
by Mr. Wadsworth what is known
as the Baker bill which combines the
army reorganization bill and uni
yersal military service bill This bill
provides for very safe and sane
universal training act it seems to me,
as the Objectionable feature of the
Characterization bill, section 0, is
eliminated and it provides for three
instead of six months training How
ever this bill provides for a regular
army of 100000 which it seems to
me is double the size necessary in
times of peace, for this or any other
country can never hope to maintain
in peace times an army OF sufficient
size to handle the situation in case of
war, 1t would have to demand, as it
4 wavs has upon an army Of citizen
soldiers, therefor the regular army
need the maintained only of sufficient
size TO properly police the United
States and its possessions and to fur
nish instructors for the training OF
the citizen soldier
THE estimate of the cost Of our
army under this bill is S900,000,O00
which is nearly four time the cost of
our regular army prior TO the war
Chamberln-kahn Bill.
Section 9.
In case voluntary enlistments shall
be insufficient to maintain the regu-
lar army. navy or marine corps, at
the numbers from time to time re-
CURED by law, then so many men as
may be necessary to maintain the
regular army, navy and marine corps
at such numbers may be selected,
pur uant to regulation, from among
the men completing their training per
iod, and the men so selected shall
serve in the army, navy or marine
corps for an Hdditional period of one
year. The number so selected from
each state or territory shall bear, as
nearly as may be, the same proper
ton to the whole number of men so
selected as the number OF men from
that state or territory cervfng for
training purposes during the last pre-.
ceding calendar year bears to the
whole proportion to the whole num-
Der Of men so selected as the mum
Der of men from that state or terri
tory serving for training purpose
during the aqt preceding calendar
year bears y the whole number so
serving during ouch calendar year
Section "a.
That the National Guard, active
militia and naval militia of the sever
al states may be called forth by the
president only to execute the laws of
the union, suppress Instructions or
repeal invasions, and shall not be re-
CURED to serve outside of the terri
torial limits of the United States or
for more than three months in any
one year.