Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-03
MILITARY TRAINING
BILL TO Be RUSHED
War Department Plan May
Go to Congress Early
This Week.
MANY POINTS UNDECIDED

the war department Dill pToSioihS
for q moderate system of universal
military training as the settled mill
tary policy of the nation, will be laid
before Congress without further de-
lay. Probably 1t will be in the hands
of Senator wadsworth and Repre-
sentative Kahn, heads Of the two mill
tary committees, early this week.
Previous plans for extended confer
ences with Gen. Pershing and other
overseas officers before presenting
the bill have been abandoned. For
that reason, however. it Is understood
the committee chairmen will be in
formed that while the project includ-
ed In the proposed measure represents
the best Judgment Of the War Depart
ment at this time, it is to be looked
upon as tentative in some respects and
subject to possible modification in the
light of the experience and Judgment
Of these officers when their testimony
shall be available. The department, it
Is understood, is not only willing but
anxious that Gen. Pershing and his
officers should be heard and Secretary
Baker is expected to make this clear
In his letter transmitting the bill.
Differs From Kahn-Chamberlain. !
~. DeIdllS SOI Tie uCphF VIII
have not been made public. There
are Indications, however, that 1t diff
sfers essentially in some ways from
the Kahn-Chamberlain universal
bill already before the committees.
:. In previous discussions of the sub
iect. dating back to the preparedness
hearings before the United States en-
tered the war, most Army officers who
testified held that training should be
given in the nineteenth year. Secre-
tary Baker expressed the same views,
and 1t Is thought probable the War
Department plan will be found to call
for the training of youths of nineteen
instead of eighteen, as provided in the
Kahn-Chamberlain measure.
Amount Of Training Undecided.
Another point on which the depart
ment's judgment is awaited with in
terest is the amount OF training to be
required. Throughout the extended
study of the subject. in which vari-
GUS branches of the general have
been engaged ever since hostilities
ceased, this has been a difficult prob
lem. Economic considerations, it has
been felt. required that the time taken
year who probably would be liable
for the military instruction under any
fair plan Of exemptions. that could be
adopted should be fixed at the ire
ducfbte minimum OF what military
considerations required. q
The Kahn-Chamberlain bill would
provide for six months training.
There Is some reason to believe, how
ever. that the War Department would
be satisfied. all things considered,
with less than that: probably with
half as much time devoted to inten-
sive instruction.
Effect on Vocational. Training.
The necessary result of limiting the
training period to less than six
months, some officers have said, would
be TO compel abandonment of all
protects for vocational or other edu-
catfonal work. All that could be done
would be to concentrate on purely
military instruction of q primary ma
ture. as the time would not permit
more than incidental physician de-
velopment. Three months of inten-
sive instruction. It was said, would
only 1T the boys for ready assimila-
ton of further training under active
service conditions in case a war
emergency called them out during
their term of liability. It would not
permit their training, however, to
expand beyond the purely military
lines.