The sun., 1919-04-30
COL. DONOVAN URGES
UNIVERSAL TRAINING
Commander of Fighting 69th
Says Country Should at
Once Adopt System.
HITS SWIVEL CHAIR RULE
Members Of Bar Association
Told Battle Of Champagne
Turned Tide of War.

Col. William J. Donovan. commander
of the old Sixty-ninth Regiment (now
165th) urged adoption of a universal
military training system for the United
states In speech to members Of the
Association OF the Bar last night In
their rooms in West Forty-fourth street.
we mnst have a striking head, pol
ished and trained. II we are to main
tain ourselves with anything else than
naked valor," Col. Donovan said. I'VE
must train our men in early life II we
are to have An effective force. II ID
time to agree upon one system and put
1t into effect. The National Guard and
the Regular Army and the citizens
should get together and formulate q
policy.
Il do not believe the people will ac-
cept hand made system from the
General Stan Of the army. nor will they
allow a professional group to run
democratic country. Mind me. ] do not
criticize the army. but there Is an ar
rogant, stupid little clique in the Gen.
eral Stan which has already done too
much. And, on the other hand. there
ia swivel chair. political group
In the National Guard trying to run
things. What should be done. think. ia
for fairmnded representatives OF each
gether and select a system
The terrible results of unframed
lighting men was shown in this war. 1t
was terrific waste Of life II could
nave been prevented by training, but
there is not time for this In war II
must come before. The War Department
IL not to blame, nor Is the Government
The ultimate cause OF this waste rests
with the people themselves for not hav-
Ing been prepared with trained men
Sometimes l think we have not learned
our lesson yet. With all our losses
feel that the casualties have been too
light because they have not touched
! enough of the people to make them real-
lie the importance of the adoption OF a
military training system that will find
us prepared against the future
Col. Donovan said he believed that the
Battle of Champagne on July IA was the
! decisive point OF Il war and that this
fact was little known.
1t was the Gettysburg OF the war,
| he said. prisoners captured by our
! patrols brought the information that the
! Germans would attack upon this French
holiday fall of the Bastiie) because
they believed the French army. with
! which the Sixty-ninth wae fighting
would be drunk in celebration. SO the
allied army evacuated it's front lines in
this sector and the concentrated FIRE OF
the Germans fell upon vacant ground
The intermediate line. the line of defence
and the lines OF support we're moved
back and the Germans were allowed to
! rush into the open where they believed
they had annihilated the enemy.
Ard then We gave EN- hell. Our
artillery opened up on them and almost
decimated the First Prussian Guard and
three Bavarian divisions that were
sweeping on. Some of them came
through 70 the intermediate line and
fought with US. belly to belly--and let
me say that ;he German soldier was
Il good soldier then. HIS morale was
good and no was splendidly disciplined
They made five distinct attacks within
nine hours, despite their awful losses
but we held them just where we wanted
them and poured our fire into tier
ranks. They finally retreated."
Col. Donovan told OF his orderly who
crept up to him during the fighting
and said: Ma jor' Che was Major them
they told me you VIVA dead but
couldn't believe IL So | went behind
a tree and set awhile with Jesus and !
knew you wuz all right. I come to
take keer Nv you.
Il didn't have the heart to send him
back" Col Donovan said
The Sixty-ninth arrived in Camp
Mills yesterday and will be sent &c
Camp Upton to-day for rehabilitation
Capt. John =. Hurley Of Company x
was presented with n handsome gold
watch from the men OF his command