The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-02-09
Preparedness Without Mill
tarism.

ueIenSe OF the nation IN war without
too great expense and without turning
the country into the German militaristic
mold in peace time, is one Of the big
gest questions now agitating congress.
The senate military committee reports
a bill for universal military training"
but some leaders in the house hold the
plan to be at once expensive and I'M
democratic.
The senate bill, according to the Ban
gor Commercial Und), provides for the
maintenance of a regular army Of
$4,000 officers and 100000 enlisted men
and the compulsory military training
of American boys for a period Of four
months between the ages of is and p:
with later enrolment In the reserve"
The Grand Rapids Press Qnd,) points
out that the plan allows the boys their
choice Of taking their training In any
one of the three years following their
eighteenth birthday and as there will
be two training periods year they
may select any one of the six periods,
and the Binghamton Morning Sun Qnd.
Dem.) adds that this citizen army can
not be called to the colors except in
the event of a declaration Of war
This paper believes that "the short
period of four months provided by the
bill for the training Of our youth Is
military knowledge and discipline, but
not long enough to impart the spirit
Of mllitarism"
The plan. as calculated by the New
York Tribune tRep,), would furnish "a
reserve Of over 100000 men within
few years-by 1926 at the outside"
but in addition to this paramount con-
sideration Of providing trained soldiers
for emergencies, incidental benefits are
enumerated. For example, the Albany
Argus (Dem), says:
Whatever expense universal mill
tary training would involve would bring
results in physical improvement of the
young manhood of the country worth
many times the cost. There is no guess
work amout that. All about us today
are evidences OF what military training
did for our young men who have but
recently been discharged from the serv-
ice"
The Newark Evening News Qnd.)
looks upon this citizen army as a cure
for radicalism. "Were there ever" it
asks, ANY better universities of Amer
icanism than the training camps? And
as radicalism in such country as ours
thrives only on ignorance, prejudice and
INSTRUMENTATION, Is there any better
place for all kinds of Americans to get
together in mutual understanding than
in such camps|
Moreover, as the Minneapolis Jour-
nal Ind, Rep) points out "the call
is not for military service but for mill
tary training. NOBODY wants COM
pulsory service in time of peace, though
those who twist words try to make it
appear that this is what compulsory
training means" The New York Times
Gnd. DEM emphasizes the same dis
tinction saying that compulsory serv-
ice would be open to the charge of mil
itarism," and the Boston Transcript
Qnd. Rep) thinks the senate bill en-
bodies the principle that the privi-
lege of citizenship in a democracy car
ries with It the obligation of knowl-
| edge of the use of arms" This Is
| the democratic method Of army organi-
| zation," agrees the Seattle Times Qnd)
But others are not so sure Of this.
"The people of the United States, :"
| flatly declares the Pittsburgh Sun
| Dem.), do not want compulsory mill
| tary training of their boys unless 1t Is
absolutely essential to the safety of
the nation" Continuing, the Sun says:
THE choice is plain. On the one
hand is article VIII Of the league cove
nant, in which the members Of the
| league recognize that the maintenance
Of peace requires the reduction of ma
| tional ornaments to the lowest point
consistent with national safety estah-
| lish the machinery for reducing their
ornaments by common consent and
outlaw the private exploitation of mu-
nitions On the other hand Is return
to the old system of intrigues, Grim
inally competitive armament, tremen-
deus tax burdens to support the mill
tary machine and compulsory military
training in times of peace,
rs it not fact" asks the Des
Moines Register Qnd. Repl, that the
unframed men of Canada, of the United
| States and of Australia met the shock
troops of the veteran armies of Europe
| on even terms and that the in
itiative the dash, the victory lay with
| the civilian soldier?" The Pittsburgh
Dispatch Qnd) things it strange that
| end war the military expenditures
should be placed at seven times the
pre-war total, and that the best that
can be done is to reduce them to three
and a half times the cost in 1915" and
the Springfield Republican Qnd) sug-
gests that we wait until we know def
| initely what this country's foreign pol
icy is to be. The peace treaty with
| Germany has not yet been disposed of
Our future military policy can not be
| divorced from our future foreign pol
icy. Nor can our future military policy
be divorced from the success or failure
of the league of nations, with its dis
| armament provisions and system fQl
international arbitration
The Florida Times Union Dem) cal
culates that "ln about 20 years (undel
the senate plan) we would have q
trained force between the ages OF q
and 80 of nearly 100000 men" anC
asks what use have we for so many
soldiers?" And, adds the Chattanooga
News DemD:
MIR. Mondell Republican leader ii
the house, declares that the scheme
will cost the country one billion dollars
year. This estimate makes
no account of the loss to the country
from decreased production which vii
! Il he mat -
the training camps. MT, Mon
delIs danger signal is abundantly JUS
titled"
The Columbus Dispatch Qnd) takes
middle ground. There Is no ques
ton it says, but military training
is a splendid thing, but to have every
one in this country serve for tern
of years, or even a term Of months il
the army, after the German plan, l.
certainly not to be thought Of at thi
time-unless we want to get into wa
for wars sake" The Greensboro Dali,
News Qnd) would leave the question
open until after the election returns
are in" and the Evanston News Index
(RepD believes our policy fought Il
be determined by the policy of arma
ment that is adopted by the other ma
tons of the world
Finish the Railway Job.
|
are dead broke in spite Of the guaran'
teed rental they are now getting from
the government. Tens Of thousands o
miles OF our railroads would be deat
broke without the governmental rental
The reason is that the railroads Of thu
United States, the big and the little
the good, bad and Indifferent, are being
eaten alive by operating expenses.
If the roads stay in the hands of tn
government the colossal deficits the!
are now piling up would burst even thu
United States treasury unless congress
resorted to new taxation, This countr,
is done with higher taxes, SO 1t mus
be higher traffic rates Government
operation or private operation, there h
no getting away from the higher rates
If the national transportation system
5 Is to be saved.
Pending the carefully worked out pro
gram for the permanent salvation of thu
; roads, congress must make provision TO
more railroad revenues. The relief mus
be adequate. so that the carriers cal
live and the public be served. 1t mus
l..