Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-08
Army and Navy News

magasine. He takes this course not
because he has not fixed ideas on the
subject. but. to employ his own Ian
suage, because 1 think It important
to withhold the formation Of definite
views until the pfomplgatien of the
In the peace conference" He thus
dfsposes of the matter! at would
seem too clear for controversy that
regularity of life and habits. ordered
cooperation and the creation of
strong community ideals among young
men associated In military training
are national and personal asets of the
| highest value"
| The Secretary had already pointed
out that in the new Army of the Unit
ed States to be enlisted for the next
three years the proper course will be
to create the divisional unit. He urges
| that the development of the present
great Army has shown that under
such a condition 1t Is possible to, give
vocational and special training to en-
listed men, and thus make Of the camp
a school of education and character.
He would improve the service schools
so that both officers and men could
have every advantage. In view of the
for the Army, the Secretary eoneeives
It quite possible ITO devise a system
which Will give helpful and vsiua Bile
military training to the youth Of the
country by the use of practically va
cation periods without seriously In
| terfering with education in colleges
or in trade; and this can be done with
obvious advantage to the youth
Without discussing the statement Of
the Secretary that the prolonged pc
sary in any adequate system Of uni
versal training are not necessary; and
without arguing that longer period
of training will be better than an ex-
tremely short period It seems certain
that some training for the youth Of
the Views of the Secretary, and that
means the War Department.
The greatest good claimed for uni
versal military training by it's sup
porters is not to be found in the fact
that 1t may produce soldiers in an
| emergency. That may be the theory
of mi1itarists. If unfortunately there
be any such In the United States Its
great national benefit is found in the
training and education It gives to
ing period of young manhood. Physi-
cal development. discipline. self-re-
straint. obedience, respect for author
ity are not acquired In q few months.
although that period Is far better than
giving them no such education at all:
German figures before the war showed
that the man who had passed through
the German military training Of two
years had earned fo4 himself good
health for his life, and on the average
FIVE years added longevity.
1t may be that the United States
cannot afford, from Its national wealth
or that individuals in their rush to
acquire some wealth, cannot take the
money and time to give to Its boys
the training that gives such results ;
| hut ho M dnaorvA that ntlCh
=. in any event.
A condition not contemplated by the
! the acts of
Hospitals for Sick Cons ess
Discharged Soldiers. closed At a
hearing given to representatives from
Chicago by the House military COM
mittee. Chief Health Officer Robinson
Of that city stated that at least a
thousand discharged soldiers and SAIL
ors affected with tuberculosis were
cast upon the city of Chicago, and
that aside from the expense, which
should not be borne by the munich
pality, these patients were subjected
to unnecessary exposure and hard
ship. In addition, their disease car
ried danger to the citizens. He and
his associates asserted that through
out the state were sixteen hundred
moro similar cases, all carrying the
same danger.
The chairman Of the committee, Ju-
Illus Kahn. made it plain that all juris-
diction over the cases Of discharged
soldiers and sailors as we'll had been
taken away from the War Depart
ment, and much as the military COM
mfttee might wish to assist the SOL
diers. 1T had no right to act in the
matter. 1t was true, as DR.. Robinson
said; that quite large percentage of
the cases were tubercular when they
were taken under the draft and sent
to one of the Army camps. These men
had passed the preliminary examina-
tons, but on the more rigid tests ap-
piled in camp their trouble had been
detected. and they had been sent back
to civil life. But larger part Of the
number had been discharged after
service and were unquestionably enti-
tied to hospital care. It appeared
from the hearing, that the public
health service should provide the hos
pital care for all these cases. but 1t
seems that the patients do not know
how to obtain their rights.
Inquiry at the office Of the public
health service results in the -informa-
ton that in such cases the men should
apply for information directly to the
service or indirectly through the
Army hospitals or some of the or
CARNATIONS in touch with the Army,
such as the Red Cross. K. of c. or the
Y. M. c. A. Congress passed the nee
essary legislation and appropriated
all the money that was asked for the
l q nrf NJ 20.