Norwich bulletin., 1921-05-10
WASHINGTON AFFAIRS
tspecial to inc Bultetin.)

WaShlngton, D. C., May g.-EetS go' was battle cry in the trenches. It will | now be the slogan for citizens. It will | camps throughout the country. Lets | go" will be the call to which 1900 | New England young men Will respond | by taking course of military training at Camp Devens this summer. There will 1 be nine such camps scattered through | out the country to which young men be- | tween the ages of IS and 35 can take a course in military training, enjoy out door sports, find themselves clothed, housed fed and cared for without a penny of expense to themselves and at the same time perform a patriotic duty to the United States.
 Congress has appropriated $1 000, 900 to carry out the plan and 1t 6as the full sympathy of President Harding Secretary of War Weeks, and the great majority of congress. Said Secretary Weeks today to The Bulletin correspond ent, Tn my opinion these camps will prove valuable asset to the original reserves. Thousands of young men will get month in the open, a touch of military training and such a system will develope their sense of citizenship, as well as build them up physically" One reason the war department decided& to organize citizen training camps along the line of the Flattsburg camp was to remedy the copdition found to exist when the draft was called. It was then shown that not less than 10000 youth at- tained majority annually with physical defects that impair their usefulness and efficiency. General Pershing stated many of our boys went into the war. with but scant knowledge of the training or disci pline so essential to the making of a good soldier. They acquired it by hard knocks, and now it is proposed to give them a month in camp with free mili- tary instruction, out door sports, and to | furnish theme an insight into military needs and discipline. Here's the plan in a nutshell. The policy is to develop l one harmonious, effective co-ordinaating army composed of the regular army, the | national guard and the organized reserve corps, so all branches of the United | States army can be developed without i friction. Both regular army and na- | tional guard officers will be used and in 1 struetors in the camps. Take Camp l Devens for instance, where 1,200 men l will be in training. There will be 40 to | 50 officers Il of whom will be select | ed from the national guard and the re- | mainder from the regular army. The l system is divided into red. white and ! blue camps. The red, or freshman grade ] will command especial attention this year Any one who successfully passed | the test can later go to the white camp ! which fits him for a non n-commissioned i officer, then to the blue camp, which qualities him for commission. His uni l form and all expenses are paid by the r government.
 Uncle Sam wants good citizens and q good military reserve and he believes 1 the way to get it is to have the boys grow up with some practical knowledge
 of their responsibilities as defenders o
 the nation. No previous military train
 ing is needed for the Camp Devens course. There will be military drills | small arms rifle practice, guard duty
 camping and marching together witt demonstrations of other branches of tn service. There will be hostess houses and there is absolutely no hint of com pulsery military training in the plan fo ! entrance to the camp is voluntary. Som
 people smile skeptically at the suggestion ! that just one month in a boys lifetime l can Se thus tu ted to military ad vantage. But General Pershing and oth r CT great men of experience agree tha 1 one month of intensive training will giv | those men a sense of what constitute
 military discipline and teach them tn : rudiments of military training and in r spire them to sense of patriotic re
 responsibilities that will not be forgotte f as long as they live. Even if year
 intervene they will be eligible to officer | rank, and if called on to serve thei : ' country their camp training will com back to them in a fash" said Sec l retary of War Weeks in commenting 0 : the advantage of such a summer 1 camp All protection of the Unite
 States against invasion rests with tn
 regular army, the national guard and tn organized reserves, so far as it's Ian T forces are concerned. It is the purpos of the war department to bring thes ! forces together on common groun : through citizen training camps. Er f trance will be strictly confined to corr ! areas, all New England men must go |
 Camp Devens if they desire to enter sue Il camps. Boy Scouts over Is and fe | lows from 16 to 20 are regarded as es f pecially desirable for the red course, a t though it is open to men up to the az r l of S5. In fact one great idea of th e war department is to make good mixer N of the men of draft age, or younger. IT
 camps will recognize no class distinctio $ or religious creed. All must work togetl s CT for common experience in a patriot l. cause.
 T. "Its wonderful opportunity for Il y boys and young men" said Congres If man Merritt. A month in the can
 with exercise sports, and a prop,
 amount of military training will do mo
 
 them into a sense of responsibility st their patriotic obligations. It will Is a fine thing for them physically, as w
 as mentally, and I am in hearty a
 cord with the plan"
 ~ Congressman Tilson, who is a m; ie of practical experience, having served
 the Spanish war and on the Mexico
 border said today: Its the best thin 10 that can be done. These boys and m st will get a taste of what genuine militia
 responsibilities and discipline means.
 matter how many years may go by wit Il out putting it into practice, they " ~ never forget these camps, and if call 'I into service all their training will quic
 ly come back to them. As they gre
 older they will look back on their trai gs ing camp days with respect and 2 st lection. Whether or not they are ev
 called into active service. the eXperien
 and training will be a fine thing s. them" In fact the entire New Engla .N delegation is in sympathy with the pl p- of citizenship military training cam C. where the attendance is voluntary a
 where elementary military training
 secured through methods that are ; in tractive and efficient.
 to Thirty -four congressme1 have ( sn ganized a Veterans" Congressional
 soeiation of the 67th congress. T
 New England members are Tilson a