The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-07-16

Washington.-The following is the
first of a series of six articles des-
cribing activities of the army of the
United States during the summer
months of 1925, given to the Associat-
ei Press by General John j. Pershing,
author Of the series.
BY GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING.
A large number of young men in
the prime of life will be out of doors
this summer, devoting from two to
six weeks of their time to military
training. This military training began
with the closing of our colleges and
schools in June and will end about the
middle of September, with July and
August as the, busiest months.
Most of these young men. in uniform
will be civilians, spending their vaca-
ton periods in their country's SER
vice. We shall have the maximum
number of civilian soldiers to receive
military training since the World War.
Prior to 1917 there was scarcely any
of this sort of work. Our history has
been one of unpreparedness with six
important wars, not. to mention the
skirmishes involved in winning this
continent from its original inhabit-
ants; and the people seem deter
mined to have a reasonable number
of trained men available should an
other emergency arise.
The various groups in this service
will be assembled in some 400 camps
for civilians on 240 military reserva-
tions, large and small, scattered all
over the United States. The war de-
partment is endeavoring to place these
camps as close to all centers of popu-
lation as possible and every effort is
made to accommodate the training
period to the time that can best be
spared by civilians from Office, shop,
and farm.
Fortunately, the slack time in COM
mercial life is most suitable for out
door military training and for the CO.
ordinate development of better citi-
zenship. The summer months, when
most everybody is able to get away
from their ry-day work for two
weeks or more, are the most available
for profitable vacation in correction
with military training in camp. The
sort of work done in these camps con-
stitutes the most ideal recreation for
men whose occupations keep them in
doors the fall, winter and spring. Ger
tainly no other vacation promises so
much in health or in long life to eth
err the individual or the nation.
At all of our military camps will be
members Of the Regular Army, both
officers and enlisted men, acting as in
structors and in other helpful capa-
cities. The Regular Army is devoting
its best efforts and the best military
months of the year to the training OF
our civilian soldiers. Military science
has become more complicated and most
exact as civilization has developed,
and more time is required for learn
ing the varied duties of soldier. In
struction has to be given in the tao
tics of Infantry, Cavalry, Field Artil-
gineers, Signal Corps, and Chemical
Warfare Service. Weapons have be-
come intricate and their use requires
special skill.
Our new citizen army, created by
the National Defense Act of 1920, is
the logical product of our bitter World
war experience in unpreparedness. It
will muster in summer training this
year in the United States very small
regular army contingent of $1,000 men;
National Guardsmen, spread over the
forty-eight states, of 10000; and of
ficers of the Organized Reserves, IT,
600, or about one-sixth of the total
number of reserve officers. These
three components constitute what is
called the Army of the United States.
In addition, there will also be some
5000. young men from our colleges
and schools in Reserve Officer Training
Corps Camps; and about $4,000 from
all classes and communities in the
Citizens Military Training Camps.
None of these, however, will be mem
bers of our new citizen army, as they
are merely it's pupils, learning the
practical lessons of constructive citi-
zenship and patriotism through pre-
pairing themselves as individuals to
fulfill the most sacred of all citizen
ship duties-defense of home and
country They can qualify, if they
wish, to be officers and non-commis-