Republican farmer., 1919-09-26
FEAR BOLSHEvISM WOULD ARISE IN
 TRAINING CAMPS
Think Youths Would Re sent Officers NEistreat-
 m6nt.

Washington. Sept. 22. - The dan ger of making BOlshevisJs out Of young men by sending them to camp for military training, where they would risk being mistreated by mex Fcrienced officers, was raised in the House Military Affairs Committee Saturday as an objection to the sys- tenn of universal military training proposed by the War Department.
 You will have to be careful who the officers are,' said Representative James (Rep., M-chigan). If boys go off to camp and are mistreated it might make Bolshevists of them in- stead of soldiers"
 Gen. March, Chief of Staf, ad- mitted some officers. Set into the army who had TO experience in dealing with men, but he thought this could be avoided under the plan suggest ed.
 If young men so into camp preju- oiced against the system and officers begin to lord it over them. you can see what would result - prejudice would be raised asaiast the entire army said ReproseD rlrive NIcken- zie CEeD-. Iu.). The wnole system is lrausht with that danger"
 We have now 5n the Regular Aruy,' replied Gen. March "a large number of trained me~ and we want to have an officer assigned to pre- pare the younger officers who under stand the morale :nvolved and who will get the men in tl>e right frame of mind. Young officers will ind their work supervised by older men,
 If young men shCIId go home would 1t be deseration:" asked Mr. James.
 Absence without leave" corrected Gen. March.
 Don't you think he should receive more consideration than older men ?''
 We have a graded system of pun ishments," said Gen. March If man is an absolute deserter his case should be dealt with on its merits There will not be these severe sen tences that you saw in the war" He said trials would be by court martial
 Replying to a question by Mr James who asked if the young men could be sent 10 the Mexican border or Siberia, Gen. March said: None will be sent in time of peace"
 That depends on what the Presi- dent calls peace; we have men in Siberla now" replied MT. James.
 "The men are not to be used for
 
 Gen. March. T do not believe this bill compels service of them in peace. The President now, under existing law, can send the Regular Army any where, any time.''
 He stated that the enforcement of universal military training would be under local draft boards similar to those which sent men into the army ''The entire plan is modelled after the Selective Service Act" he declared.
 Gen. March said the principle of promoting officers by selection won many converts in the army during the war, and should be continued by law in the new reorganization bill.
 "It would be a fine thing if we could eliminate politics from the army-that is. pull said MT. Kearns.
 Chairman Kahn said selection had been followed with some dissatisfac- ton in the navy, stating it was not panacea for all their ills-''
 q have heard of some mutterings myself said Gen. March q have [ always believed in selection It ap- plies in business and everything else'' 1
 "I have wondered if the boards of selection will have the courage to rel fuse the power of influence of some | Senator or Representative, declared MT. Mckenzie (Rep., IlD.
 Yes I think so, replied Gen | March. Under this bill the Presi- | dent and no one else can stick in a name to save his life"
 Army recruiting officers have been | cautioned to exercise all diligence to | prevent the enlistment of boys under i eighteen years of age without pa | rental consent,
 Discussing the matter in a state- | ment issued today, the War Depart l ment says:
 This is essential not only in jus | !tice to the individual and his parents l but fof~the regulations of the mili- tary estabishment and for it's ac- tual efficiency"