The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-12-15
Military Training

TTT- HERE is lot Of smoke about recent
1 pamphlet by Winthrop D, Lane oppos-
ing military training in the schools. The
pamphlet is Endorsed by men like Senators
Borah and Norris, former Governor Sweet OF
Colorado, Bishop Mcconnell of Pittsburgh,
Rabbi Silver and other religious leaders and
famous women like Carrie Chapman Gait and
Jane Adams.
1t gives useful facts about schools and
colleges where military training is taught.
1t also contains this statement: "The pur-
pose is to make, soldiers. 1t is not training
in-citizenship."
II With the implication of this statement,
that learning to be soldier is no business OF
an American citizen, this newspaper entirely
disagrees. The phrase american citizen" It
self would be meaningless today had not
very considerable proportion of able bodied
white men living here in 1776 taken to sol
diering mighty earnestly and quite effectively
in1the War of Independence. 1t would mean
something very different from what it means
today had not the same thing happened in the
war to preserve the Union. They were good
citizens who avenged the sinking of the
Maine in the war with Spain, and who
fought, or stood ready to fight, against the
German Kaiser and what he stood for in 1917
IS the better for every bit they knew about
how to shoot and do the other jobs a soldier
has to do.
n. The plain fact is the whole theory Of first
class American citizenship is based on the will
ingness of the able bodied male who bears that
title to be the best sort of soldier he can be,
in time of need, in defense of his country's
territory, it's good name and its ideals-which
are all his own because of his citizenship. You
might as well tell man it is no business of
his whether he catches pneumonia, and that
therefor he should not keep fit and study how
not to- as to say what this pamphlet says,
which is in effect this: That it is no business
of an American citizen whether or not this
country gets licked, and himself unnecessarily
killed or MANNED, in some future quite possible
war for want Of new recruits who know in ad-
vance such simple things for instance as how
to keep grit and rust out of the breech mechan-
ism of Springfield rifle, how to march in com
pany without treading on each others heels
or how to keep their digestion working on
feld-ktchen diet
The words 'quite possible future war; are
used advisedly. 1t is time enough that the
American people as whole understood that
the war which ended-perhaps recessed"
would be better word-in 1918 did not clear
up all points of difference between ambitious
War-trained and, where their own interests are
concerned, more or less constituencies world
powers, In Europe and elsewhere; that the part
that this country played in it did not result in
any general feeling Of good will toward us;
and that our prosperity subsequent to 1918, as
well as the political mistake of our aloofness
from the League of Nations, has greatly aggra-
waited the general feeling of ill-will against us.
For these reasons this newspaper feels
that military training in the schools, pro-
v1ded it is of any real military value, is good
thing and should be encouraged.
The main question is as to whether such
training as is now being given is of any real
military value The War Department. and the
military experts, should DO heard on this.
RI N saying that military training in the
Il the schools is good thing and should be
encouraged, we make no reference to ANYTHING
that might be construed as compulsory mill
tary training in any school or college in part
or IN whole supported by public taxes The