Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1920-04-24

the Senate Military Affairs Committee
did an unkind -unkkind, that is,
to the committee or at least to Messrs
Wadsworth, Chamberlain and COM
pany. Seldom have the walls Of that
historic committee room heard more
solcaerIy bluntness, more giving the
game dead away, or franker criti-
cism of the huge military establish
ment which the advocates of compul-
sorry military training are striving to
create.
After General Sherburne had, in re-
ply to questions, given his name, his
title and the record Of his service in
France, Senator Wadsworth sougkt to
draw his out upon the subject Of uni-
versal military training. The transcript
Of testimony reads as follows:
Gen. Sherburne: This Army pro-
gram. in my judgment, attempts to
bring into being a centralized military
power which to my perhaps conservo-
tive New England judgment, is one Of
the greatest potential dangers which
the institutions Of his country have to
face. | am against centralized compul-
sorry service.
Senator Chamberlain. You mean
military training, or do you mean COM
pulsory service? Do you differentiate
between training and service?
Gen. Sherburne. Yes, different
ale, bcause military training may be
many things; it may mean training in
high school or it may mean taking
the men way and segregating them in
a camp. The latter, | think, is tn same
thing as compulsory service. AS mat
ter Of fact, Senator, the word train
ing is used frequently as a camou-
flage to conceal the idea of compul-
sorry service. The people who believe
in the full extent of compulsory mill
tary service feel that, as such, they
can not get it through and that short.
ly thereafter it becomes compulsory
service.
1t seems to me that preparedness is
insurance. but over preparedness is
like overinsurance, and overinsurance
has two fundamental weaknessss-il
Is an economic waste and it leads to
arson. We do not need anysuch stand
ing army as universal service would
give us.
Somewhat later the committee drew
the Massachusetts general out on the
subject of the vast mental and moral
benefits which are claimed for peace
time conscription, but there again they
caught Tartar.
Gen. Sherburne. So much has been
said about our training these men in
patriotism and all the other virtues.
Now there is a good deal to Besaid for
military discipline in teaching men sub
ordination and perhaps teaching them
promptitude etcetera. but it has been
my exnerence-and | think it will be
yours if you analyze the effect upon
the returned soldiers-that the milf
tary discipline which they have re-
ceived rather reacts upon them when
they get out of the Army and the av-
erage soldier today is a good deal OF
a BoIshevist-in a pleasant sense, not
in a socialist sense. He is very impa-
tient of any harness, or of any con-
troll whatever, and | think that is the
great weakness of the Army discipline
of the Army system. | have not hesita-
ted to express my feeling against uni
versal service, wherever | could, in or
der to try it out, and | think in nc
place has my stand failed to meel
with an almost instantaneous accept
ance and applause. both among the
service men and among other citizens
in my community.
This developed into a discussion ol
whether compulsory military training
was popular or not among the men
who saw service in France. The dis.
cussion went as follows:
Sen. Wadsworth: Several state con
conventions of the American Legior
have indorsed military training.
Gen. Sherburne; Undoubtedly, bu
|, what do they mean by that2
Sen. Wadsworth. They mean uni
versal obligation to be trained.
Gen. Sherburne: They mean uni
versal obligation to be trained, or they
mean high school training. You do no
define it. That's the danger. If it i
universal military service. they are al
against it. Now that rs the only fai
way.-to come straight out and say
that you intend three months compul
sorry service because that is what it is
What this country needs, more thar
Il r--I- Il