The daily worker., 1926-08-25
BY THuRRER LEWIS.

NEXT to enforced military service
: y the kind Of institution that best
meets the frenzied and Unsuitable de-
mands of militarism is voluntary
civilian training" on large scale. In
comparatively new country like the
United States, only now developing a
strongly centralized government, en-
forced military service except in time
Of war is very difficult and belated
change to initiate. SO the jingoes
must be satisfied with something less.
They have created what are known as
Citizens Military Training Camps.
Their Father Is Gen. Wood.
The germ of the idea that grew into
the 40 Citizens Military Training
Camps that now dot the United States
each summer seems to- have been first
born in the mind of that idol of all
100 percent Americans, Leonard Wood.
1t was in 1918. Wood was a major
general and chief-of-staff of the United
States army. Something was needed
to arouse interest in. national de-
fense." The world war was already
brewing in Europe. Wood, as chief
of-staff, knew what was going on. It
was no accident that in that year he
was instrumental in setting up at
Gettysburg and Monterey what he
called college camps" in which
young men were given military train
ing for short periods.
The war began in Europe. In 1915
and 1915 more than a dozen camps
were opened at Plattsburg and a dozen
other places thruout the country
known as business and professional
mems camps" These gentry seemed
veritably to smell the war that was
coming. They wanted to have gold
bars on their shoulders when it
started. And sure enough, these very
camps were the forerunners of the
officers training camps of the war
years, 1917 and 1918.
Business Inspired.
THE fact that the United States won
4 the war to end war" only served
to make armament and military train
ing all the more necessary" BY 1920
frantic demand went up from all
the jingoes in the land for an enlarge
ment of the military. The white
haired and grizzled old thumb-tack
pushers in the war college and the
bronzed campaigners in command of
the corps areas looked upon this prop
aganda with great glee and helped it
along. An organization of "Platts-
burg graduates" had been formed in
1915. 1t was called the Military Train
ing Camps Association and was COM
posed entirely of business men. This
was made the nucleus for the new
movement.
A lobby was set up in congress.
Money was needed to establish mill
tary training camps on a wide basis
During the session of 1920 congress
was persuaded to give the funds nee
essary for the establishment of ten
camps with an enrolment of 1000.
Thus was the C. NJ. T. C. launched.
TN 1922 congress gave money enough
l. to core for 10000 in the camps,
$4,000 in 1928, $4,000 in 1924, $4,000
in 1925 and this year $4,000 have been
sent to get on speaking terms with
Springfield rifles and machine guns.
The Military Training Camps Asso-
citation itself is stronger than ever.
It's chief business is to supply the agi-
tation and propaganda for the c. M.
T. c. 1t has sort of semi-official
standing thru unqualified endorsement
from the president down to division
commanders of the army. Under the
direction of a "chief civilian aide to
the secretary Of war" it maintains
corps area civilian aides" and state
civilian aides" These civilian officers
direct the publicity work for the
camps and aid in the recruiting of
as many youths as the congressional
appropriation for a particular year
will handle.