River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1919-01-16

of only 10000 men, mere police
force. In addition to the Regular
Army we had about 100000 National
Guardsmen with more or less train
ing.
The war demonstrated to US that we
cannot again permit ourselves to lapse
into this unprepared condition and
there is an unmistakable sentiment in
this country in favor of some type of
universal training. I hope the coun-
try will not make the mistake of Gre
ating a great standing army. Wheth-
er that army may be created under the
draft. system or by volunteers, the
| fact remains that it is the beginning
of a great military establishment
which will mean militarism in Ameri-
ca. 1t is no answer to say that a
great standing army in the United
| States would not mean what great
| standing army in any one of the Euro
pean countries means. In the last
analysis it is a war machine that can
be used for war and war only, and its
Influence here will be against peace,
as it has been in every other country.
A great war machine wants to put it
self in use. 1t wishes to perform the
only service that it can perform, and
it is, perhaps, therefore, always an in
fuence against peace.
The splendid record made by our
National Guard, after a very brief
training that it received in the federal
service, demonstrated that it does not
require four years or even two years
training to make an efficient soldier.
These men received their initial train
ing in our own state, they met annual
1y at Camp Douglas and and received
instructions for two weeks; the bal
ance of the training was given them
at their homes in the company armo-
ries, usually in the evening when they
were not otherwise employed. Much
more could have been done for the
National Guard by the government if
it saw fit to do SO, and the men could
have been brought up to much high
er standard of efficiency by giving
them more time and attention.
If it is the purpose of the govern
ment to have an available army of
one million men our quota would not
exceed twenty-five thousand. With the
proper encourag cement from the gov
eminent these men could be brought
to a high standard Of efficiency with
out leaving the state, and if that pol
icy were adopted by the government
we would avoid the risk of creating
militarism in our own country; nor
would we take a vast army of one
million or more able-bodied men con-
tinuously out of production.
On former occasion | recommended
that military training be introduced in
our high schools. It could be given
without interfering with the time the
young boy must give to his studies,
and aside from it's value as founda-
ton for his future military training,
it is equivalent to good physical
training and it has the further value
of teaching the young man discipline
and obedience. My former sugges-
ton was opposed by many educators
and received no consideration at the
hands of the Legislature. I call your
attention to it again and recommend
that you give the subject your serious
thought. No doubt Congress will con-
slider the matter of creating a nation
al army and whatever action it takes
must in the end control us. 1t is an
important matter and an expression
by YOU to our members of Congress
would I am sure be of value to them
as they would regard it as word
from the people upon this important
subject.
Marketing.
A strong demand has grown up
among our farmers for better market
conditions. The last Legislature ap-
pointed a committee to study this
question, and I hope that the report
which will be made will offer rea-
sonab1e solution.
Agriculture is the greatest resource
of our state and I feel that anything
that can be done for our farmers that
will provide better market facilities
and give better returns should be
done. Whatever is attempted along
this line should be well thought out
effort that gives the assurance of be-
ing successful. It will do no good to
merely create a commission without
some definite plan of how to market
facilities are going to be improved
Foreign Languages.
The question whether foreign Ian
guages, and particularly German,
should be taught in the schools of the
state is being agitated and some def
mite action should be taken by your
body in regard to it.
During the late war German has
been eliminated from practically all
the elementary schools, some of them
substituting French in place of Ger
man. Nearly all of the high schools
have dropped Greek and many of them
have dropped German, substituting
French or Spanish for these Ian
guages.
1t is my opinion that we should con-
:, ri.