The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-01-31
REQUIRED ARMY
TRAINING URGED
BY SENATOR new
Universal Military Training
Proposed as National Policy
by Indiana Senator.
tBy Associated Press,

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31.-Universal
lean youths as permanent national
policy IL proposed in a bill introduced
in the Senate today by Senator New
OF Indiana, Republican. Such policy,
the Indiana senator said in offering
the bill Provides the only guarantee
against any occasion OF the mainten-
ance" Of q large regular army.
Training Of not more than one
year for all youths between 10 and rs
years--limited to one continuous per
Tod and not divided year to year
10 provided by the bill, which was re-
ferred to the senate military commit
tee with suggestion by Senator New
that It be laid before the army gen.
eral star for report at the next
session Of congress. Under the bill
all youths upon completion of the
training period, as fixed by the presi.
dent would 60 into the national. re-
serve for call in case of necessity.
Priority of service would be placed
upon the youngest annual class.
The plan was urged by Senator New
as q national policy to be adopted as
soon as possible. He denied that uni
versal training involves maintenance
OF large standing army and declared
II would prevent that situation. In
this connection he opposed the war
departments plan for q temporary
domestic army of 100000 men as
neither necessary nor desirable"
Asserting that misconceptions re-
garding universal training have arisen,
. Senator New said:
Guarantees Preparedness
Universal training guarantees that
the youth who Is to be conscripted or
who shall volunteer shall go prepared
rather than that he shall be taken un-
prepared. It provides the only guar
antee against any occasion for main
tenance of regular army of greater
proportion than the country needs OF
Is willing to support. Under the Op-
GRAFTON of this system the soldier is in
reality citizen, free to follow his
chosen vocation except for the period
required for his proper training.
I'VE should have at all times some.
thing like 100000 men capable of be-
ing officers.
Unless occasion comes, the citizen
army need never be modified but its
members will have the benefits that
accrue from judiciously applied ply
steal training. of discipline and the i'm
proved conceptions Of citizenship that
military training brings with it,"
Nucleus for Legislation.
In preparing his bill. Senator New
said he had conferred with military
men in whose judgment he had con
fidence, but explained that his mea
sure should be regarded only as the
nucleus for legislation rather than q
fixed feature. War department plans
to extend the presidents authority to
hold men now in service, Senator New
predicted, will prove unpopular with
the American public. He urged that a
permanent policy of universal train
ing be adopted as soon as possible
although conceding that action before
the next congress Is impossible.
Explaining his bill, Senator New
said 1t proposes that in training
youths. they preferably should be
called for the scheduled continuous
training period in their nineteenth
year. Those who are sole support for
parents, wives or children would be
excused unless the government should
contribute to their dependents during
the training period. Men in training
would receive only nominal pay. The
bill also provides for commissions for
twenty per cent of the youths trained
UP to the rank of Major or Lieutenant
Colonel in the National reserve.