Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1920-03-23
MILITARY TRAINING IN
PUBLIC SCHOOLS DISCUSSED

member OF the American expedition.
airy forces, and one qualified by per.
sonal experience to judge.
The speaker spoke with much earn
estness and at times with deep feeling.
presenting his case as lawyer would
talk to n jury, diving IL into heads
and subheads, and II appeared to be the
concensus OF opinion that he "won his
case"
lie spoke Of the four principal plans
"A. Some advocates wish lt confined
exclusively TO the schools;
"B. Others wish 1t confined exclu.
sively 10 training camps;
&C. Some are in favor OF combining
the schools, militia and training
camps, and allowing exemption from
camps to those having received mill
tary training at school or in the militia.
"These three presuppose the giving Of
military instruction by regular army
instructors assigned to that duty.
ID. While fourth class advocate
compulsory, universal training and
service for certain period in the regu-
lar army This fourth is the west
Point or general staff plan.
"Will congress enact any Of these
four systems into federal law, and
IL so, which plan will they finally
adopt? The answer depends primarily
upon public sentiment Our congress
men do what you and / want. So,
what do we want?
81, for one, favor some form Of uni
versal compulsory military trimming.
That statement may sound queer com
ing as 1t does from n doughboy mem
her OF the A. +. +. Why do | make it ?
Compulsory universal military
training:
"A. Would stimulate patriotism, 100
per cent Americanlsm, and tend 10
Americanlze the many foreign-bOrn
boys and sons Of foreign parents.
"B. II would tend to democratize and
broaden the young men Of the nation
10y temporarily forcing them to rub
elbows, by placing them on an equal
ity, the rich and the poor, the educated
and meducated. Own experience
Give and take Conglomeration OF ma
lures, characters etc.
&C. IL would improve the physical
health Of the youths Of the nation.
~. 1t would render large stand
ing army unnecessary. (Thls is i'm
portant.
'E. And still would create in the
United States a preparedness for war
that we have never before enjoyed.
(Which of the four systems Of com
pulsory military training shall we IA
,oi? Repeat them.
"A. am unalterably opposed to
last and will explain why later.
"B. To combine military training
with boys education would, in my
opinion. be The ideal system. 1t would
cause the least Inconvenience AMI loss
Of time. However, II has been denol.
stated that military training Is N 81
Il oroughly effective and lasting when
received around the ages Of Is and 10.
At those ages the boy is more receptive
and adaptable However, at that age.
statistics inform us, about 80 per cent
Of the boys in the United States have
long since stopped attending school
So that were the training confined eX-
clusively o the schools II would not be
universal Compulsory attendance at
public schools does not now apply to
children Of that age, and there is little
prospect of the laws ring so altered
as to compel their attendance.
&C. On the other hand, many boys
might conveniently devote two hours n
lay, five days a week. 10 military train
ing in conjunction with their school
work during the school year, which
with IL days training in military va
cation camp the same year, would be
practically equivalent to two months
spent in strictly army training camp
Would not be fair that that boy be
exempted from two months training
in an army camp?
ID. SO you see by he process OF
elimination, that l personally favor a
system Of universal military training
whereby a boy may elect to take his
training, either while he is attending
school, in the national guard, or at
training camp. believe that he
should have his choice.
Every citizen soldier, myself in
cluded, thoroughly detests our military
system. The thousand and one reasons
that you hear given for that bitter
hatred can all be summed up in the
one word, "Autocracy" Next to the
Prussian. ours was the most autocratic
I