Grand Forks herald., 1919-12-05


army"
The selective service law was &C
cepted as fair. means of assigning
men to military service in time Of
war. Mr.. Baker said, but compulsory
service In time of peace would be "a
poor substitute Y, for the volunteer
principle properly applied" Raising
a. standing army by financial induce
ment is too costly to contemplate, he
making enlistment in the army an
educational opportunity" to furnish
the troops.
The recommendation for an in
creased standing army, he declared,
should not be taken to indicate q dis
inclination toward the prospect Of
disarmament.
Those who know the spirit Of the
American army" the secretary said,
will not ascribe to it any provocative
temper. There is glory left in the
career and the sacrifice Of the soldier.
but the mild and spectacular contests
Of an earlier age have become stern
and cruel business, and while there is
privations and make the sacrifices
which war demands, the men Of the
American army are abreast with en-
1ightened men everywhere in the hope
that more humane and rational pro-
cesses Of adjustment will supersede
the waste and loss of armed conflict.
They are, however, Of the belief that
SO long as it Is necessary for us to
maintain an army at all we are not
justified in having an inefficient army,
and their recommendations are to be
viewed as setting them apart as men
who, by reason Of their experience,
are qualified to speak upon the pro-
vision which should be made for the
common good and the common pro-
lection should the test of war become
Unavoidable
The plan recommended, Mr.. Baker
said. looks to the establishment of
systems of schools teaching the formal
branches Of education and adding to
them the skilled trades, $50 that at
the end Of term Of enlistment, the
young man entering in his nineteenth
year will go back to civil life with the
physical set-up which the open. ath-
lettc life Of the army gives. and with
the education and training which will
make him more valuable in civil pur-
suits than he could otherwise have
BEEN" Social and recreational oppor-
tunities also must be supplied, he said,
SO that the graduate ,from the army
will bring back with him the social
virtues which result from education
vironment made stimulating by the
presence of a high purpose and sense
Of service. and generous association
with his fellows"
."The military policy recommended
by the war department.. therefore, in
wolves q new army created with q new
spirit, having, wide civic usefulness,
to be an adequate reliance in case
NJ v1oA6 - the rQnOrf Ra36
Pershing to Make Report.
Mr.. Baker said the operations in
France would be dealt with In the
special report being prepared by
General Pershing.. Not even the AL
lied war council, he said. had realized
the effect upon Germany Of the ac-
celebrated movement Of troops and
supplies from the United States, and
all plans had been prepared for q
vigorous campaign in the spring Of
1919.
"IIad not the great troop movement
Of the summer Of 1918 been carried
out" he said. ''the practically con-
tinuous battle on the western front
from March to November, would not
the world In thus shortening the war
Is incalculable alike In life ana treas
ure.'' .i5a- .5>
The text Of the initial order to Con
eFnl Pershing which IL quoted, shows
He was instructed to keep the Ameri-
can army 90 separate and distinct
component of the combined forces,
the identity OF which must be pre-
served" The method Of cooperation
with the Allies was left to his sdiscre-l
tion9 and, Nr. Baker added. that the
authority thus conferred ''t.was never
in any. particular modified or dimin-
i1hed. .4s Il X: Ell.
There were clements. in the prob
lem which might we'll have caused
grave Sapprehension.'' - the report said.
s'The armiss Of France. Great Britain
and Italy had borne for three years
the furious ana deadly assault fsofs
The. great German military machine,
THE toll .IeyiSd ,by, 1: battle s. upon the
lli man p0wSr of thess pation6a had been
EAppqllihg; and. N sWaa becoming /, in-
dimcult ftrs them TO main
tain their divisions at full strength.
The. sutma axins. 81 reril 4. mehaced the
tupply of anuniti ionS of war ~ ana s.of
ioodstpns Y to- great civil popuiaticnG.
/ fSAhwhile tho German arnstes
had crushed slong-plAnned ofHenstves
by the Allied armies with apparent
eale. ana " the collapse ofEsRussia
were daily being strengthe by
divisions of trained soldiers brought
efrom the eastern front until the Smen.
aCo Of SuDerior numbers and appar.