The Washington times., 1919-02-13
URGES COMPULSORY
|. MILITARY TRAINING

Six months compulsory military
! training for every healthy American
boy when he attains his nineteenth
year-as the fundamental basis for
genuinely preparing American ran
hood for the enforcement Of world
peace.
Trained in arms as he approached
manhood, the American would be
able to say to the rest OF the world.
Il not only want peace but 1 demand
it-and / mean to have it."
For another nation to know that
Americans-millions Of them-Were
trained from .boyhood to strike hard
at a foe, were fully prepared 10
shoot straight. hike or ride nara, or
otherwise fight effectively-TSuld
not only create genuine prepared
ness but lasting peace"
This, in substance, was fo-cibiy ad-
vocated today in the House by Con-
gresham julius Kahn of California,
next chairman of the House Military
Affairs Committee, in taking UP
cudgels for the temporary American
army Of 27.5T9 officers 2nd 500. .9n9
men provided in the S1,11T 80 900
army appropriation bill when con-
sumed
Kahn agreed with some Of his Re-
publican colleagues that the pro-
posed "stop-gap" army might prove
impracticable because of an -insuffi-
cient number Of officers and men
willing to volunteer to serve in il
until the end Of the rehabilitation
period" but he declared 'ft ought to
be, at least, tried out"
The Only Effective Way.
Compulsory military training and
service were, however, the only really
effective way to genuine military
preparedness and usefulness, he stat
ed emphatically. AS the next chair
man of the House Military Affairs
Committee he would urge upon The
next - the Sixty-sixth - Congress,
which the Republicans will control,
the passage Of legislation for the
compulsory military training Of ev-
cry American boy capable Of bearing
arms at the age of nineteen, he said
Required to devote six months of
his nineteenth year by such legisIa-
tion, Kahn explained. the American
boy-"millions of him'-wouId grow
to manhood sufficiently versed in the
complex duties of the modern soldier
to make him an important factor to
be reckoRed with in the preservation |
Of world peace
Genuine preparedness means thel
ability to fight effectively" Kahn con-
tinued. Genuine preparedness is the |
only commonsense way to discourage I
any hostile notions any other nation /
may entertain in the future toward /
the American people.
A Guarantee of Peace.
ANY other nation would think |
twice before attempting to again dis
turb the worlds peace if she knew the
American was trained to Highland !
willing and able to fight. if necessary /
to maintain that peace we all Of Us |
so much desire.
Genuine preparedness for eventual
ities-and who Of Us can foretell |
what eventuaIities the future may
possess for the generations Of Amer
leans who are to follow us?-wouId
accomplish that world peace about
which we are hearing 50 much under
the guise Of the proposed League #
Nations
Il hope the American people will
never again sec the day when they
war b.. above all. I hope they will
never again find themselves unpre-
pared to enforce peace-on a human
tartan, a sensible. an unselfish and
1 practicable basis-nOt on d miIitar-
site basis"
As soon as the present Congress
ends on March 1 Kahn stated he
"ouId board the first ava!labl-
,teamship bound overseas that he
nay see for himself the conditions
indeT which the American soldiers
over there" have SO valiantly fougIr,
md uied and liycd-and are still liy-
Hg. pending the outcome OF Ia.
'eace conference, in numbers s;iII {.
'e seriously TeckOned with. Firs:-
land Information from the officer,
md men Of the American Expect
lCnaTy Force, as il is still consti-
uted on foreign soil. Kahn proposes
o personally gather preparatory L.
lis assumption OF the duties OF
hartman Of the House Military Ar
airs Committee in the next Con /
,rcSS