The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-08-22
SERVICE SPIRIT
IS REAWAKENNG
FORMER SOLDIERS ARE SHOWING
RENEWED INTEREST IN
ARMY MATTERS.
RESERVE CORPS Is GROWING
Urgent Need of General Training for
National Defense Is Recognized by
the Reserve Officers at Their Recent
Convention.
By EDWARD 3. CLARK

has been taking stock of the results
of the rebound of the American spirit
of service since the period of the great
war. II was fully expected that just
what did happen would happen-tbat
The country would tire first of war
subjects aid then, as a natural result,
of military subjects Now there seems
to be some little change, for the de-
partment recognizes a revival of IN
terest in service matters among the
men who fought
The American Legion was formed as
the result OF a meeting held in Paris
shortly after the armistice- The vet
Grams entered the Legion with spirit
and enthusiasm. Then there came a
reaction and the Legion's membership
dropped. Just now the tide seems to
be at the turn, and the hope of The
Legion is that members who have
dropped out will come back, and that
the men who never entered will enter.
The Reserve corps of the regular
army, which is an organization of
civilians who have agreed to perform
certain nominal duties and to hold
themselves in readiness foi re-entrance
into the service in case of war. is today
increasing in numbers. There ought
TO be, according to the War depart
ment's figures, about 125,0O0 officers in
the Reserve corps. There are now
about 10000 officers in it. 1t was
feared a short time ago that this num-
Der would decrease materially, but
seemingly, now the old associations are
appealing to the men who served, and
they are willing to enter the Reserve
corps for the sake of comradeship and
the good of the future military arm
Reserve Corps Should Have Training.
The officers of the Reserve corps -of
the army recently held "a national con-
vention- Nearly every member of the
corps saw service in the World war. II
another conflict should come within ten
years, all Of these men would be in a
pretty fair condition to resume their
old duties, and it is this fact which
makes the Reserve corps valuable The
training of the World wan period will
stand them in good stead il by any
chance their service again shall be
required. 1t should be remembered.
however. that men grow stale, and it
is for this reason that the War de-
partment is trying TO find lei to
secure at least two weeks training
each summer for the Reserve corps
officers.
Congress last year appropriated a
comparatively small amcun of money
for training purposes, and, as a result.
only a comparatively small number of
are to go to camp before the summer
wanes An effort is to be made next
winter to secure a larger a%ppropria-
ton.
The reserve officers at their conven-
ton showed that they realized the
necessity of som kind of general
training in order that the United States
may be prepared to defend itself in
case it is attacked in the future.
Looking to the Future.
There seems to have been a revival
of interest in army matters and the
reason probably is that American citi-
zens generally are waking up to the
fact that the mex enemy this country
may have to meet may be one which
will have a large representation inside
the borders of the country. II may be
that the Reserve corps and the regular
army some day will be called upon to
act as a Furnishing police force against
the seemingly growing force of Ameri-
cans who are not satisfied with our
democratic institutions as they are, but
would prefer the kind of a system
which today they have in Russia.
AT the convention of the reserve Off
GERS, this resolution was adopted in
behalf of the citizens training camps:
THAT it is the sense of the National
Council of the Reserve officers Asso-
Citations of the United States that, as
the citizens military training camps
conducted by the War department rep
mediums for the incubation of the
sound principles of responsible citizen
ship and for physical. mental and
moral development in the youth of our
nation, il is incumbent upon all that
every effort be made to inform all
citizens of the true purposes and real
value of these camps, and that all re-
serve officers render unstinted support
to the corps area commanders in the
matter of informing young men Of the
advantages of the camps and of secur-
Ing their attendance thereat."
What "Law-No More War" Means.
Certain organizations which prob
ably would prefer 10 be referred TO
as "nonmilitarist," rather than "paci-
fist" are responsible for a recent agi-
tation, lasting through two days, for
"Law-No More War;
Washington officials are wondering
If the country generally, looking at
this pleasing expression of 'Law-NO
More War; realizes just what it
means and what Is back of it.
In letters from Washington from