Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1920-04-23
VOLUNTARY OR
COMPULSORY MILITARY
.TEEINING


No issue since the war has stir
JroG up such bitter exchange of
funco,nplimentary accusation be-
Tween "pacifsts" and "militarists, ="
as they choose to label each other,
as the discussion of Americas fu-
tnre army. Brought to a head by
1.-the Senates substitution of voluu-
atary for compulsory service a wide
FRANCE of opinion on the subject has
tbeen expressed by the newspapers
of the country.
What sort OF statesmansnip" de-
,mands the Spokane Spokesman Re
view (Ind. Rep is it that requires
that We drop military training as
though we had never had a warning
lesson
"A measure OF excuse" 1t coutin-
ues. might have been found four
years ago. >. The country had not
then learned the lessons of the war.
IT trusted to Bryan, the president
and other paciist influences to keep
LIS out OF the conflict. 1t is differ
ent now. The country knows the
pacfists were wrong and the pro-
Ehetic patriots were right who urg-
cd preparedness. Yet some of the
pacidsts will learn nothing from eX-
pericnce.
Aud to this the Tacoma Ledger
Und) responds that little Ameri-
canism is triumphant" for the pa
cif1sts of three years ago rises from
the ashes of defeat and. 10, ma
,jority Of Congress is willing to do
his bidding"
The Kansas City Star Und) is
confident, however, that the fight
Will 90 on" for it believes that
military training is democracy ap-
Piled 10 national defense" Less san
g,une, the Chicago Daily News
ttInd) declares that %Congress has
been derelict in its duty" and fur
;ther asserts that no system OF vol
untary defense has ever proved sat.
,isfactory in an emergency" The
Port Huron Times-Herald Gnd.l
supports this belief with a state,
iInent that the voluntary plan is "a
weak make5hiIt,' while the Kansas
City Times GndD assesses il still
voluntary tr0ining may sound
formidable and effective as a means
OF preparing men for war. 1t is
probably just as formidable and eff
fective as voluntary income tax.
How much revenue would a voluu-
tary income tax producer"
Defeat of the policy of Theodore
Roosevelt, as the Manchester I'm
on Gnd. Eep.) is "dQe to the most
fati,e aud inexcuaable form OF COW
ardice.' a fear OF the pro German
bcgie which still scares Senators
and Representative away from the
path Of duty" and has caused them
The Buffalo Express lind. Rep9
says. to exhibit this 'palpable red
herring the voluntary provision
which toe Providence Journal Gnd.
insists is not to be considered 70,
. moment.
Both the Bangor Commercial
sInd.) and the Bra.tleboro Reforme'
Qnd point out that besides beinl
disady antageous, the Tolunrar,
measure would be expensive, an
the Commercial believes 1t will ev
eEtdatIy Ne suPeTSeuei WnSn tAe II
pencial condition shall be impro?
ed and that we shall find de
nand for some sort Of militar,
training that will place the countr
in a state OF preparedness.
The other side of the story is FIJI
Il as emphatically told. Far froa
wearing the mantle Of Theodor
Roosevelt the friends of voluntar
military trailing are those who az
cus-d him Of being an Iscarlot," de
clsres the Akron Beacon Journa
Rep aad ADDS that all their car
about 100 per cent Americanism (
lest dust to blind the eyes of Ii
people Who would make short wor
~ their conspiracy to Prussianiz