Evening star., 1940-06-09
Compulsory Military
Training Plan Being
Drawn for Congress
Association Holds
Informal Conferences
With War Department
BY OLIVER MCKEE.

Following its decision at a meet
ing in New York early last week to
launch a drive for peace-time con-
scription, the Military Training
Camps Association is preparing a
plan for compulsory universal train
ing for submission TO Congress, it
was learned yesterday.
Representatives of the aSsocia-
ton, including Grenville Clark who
was graduated at Harvard in 1908,
a year ahead of President Roosevelt,
have recently had several informal
conferences with War Department
officials. Though the War Depart
ment has so far taken no stand on
the question of universal military
training, it has long been studying
the problem of mopilizing the man
power of the United States in the
event of an emergency requiring
large expansion in our armed forces.
With the help of Maj. Gen. Leon
ard Wood, then in command of the
Northeastern Department with head
quarters at Governors Island,
group of business men, lawyers,
bdllhClS dIlo SlNlC lCduCIS SdIllLcu
a business mems" camp at Platts-
burg Is years ago this summer. The
PlattSburg camp, held in August,
1915, with an overflow camp in
September, numbered among its
rockies" many well known Ameri-
cans. Though the Army provided
the military instructors. rifles and
other equipment, the Plattsburgers
paid for their transportation to camp
and their food. Their object was to
drive home to the American people
the military unpreparedness of the
United States.
Gives Impetus to Training.
The Plattsburg camps of 1918 gave
q big impetus to the voluntary mill
tary training of civilians. The Mill
tary Training Camps Association in
cludes in its membership graduates
OF the civilian training camps, from
the Plattsburgh camp of 1915 to the
present. With Europe now engaged
in another war and with the Allies
fighting with their backs to the wall
the association believes that the
United States, as an emergency ma
tlonal defense measure, should adopt
custom of compulsory military
training.
Under the plans now being con-
sidered, the association, it is un-
derstood, will propose a compara-
lively short training period-from
three months to year. More than
million American men reach the
age of 81 each year. Of these, ap-
proXimately 100000. it is estimated,
would be available for military
training. Because of physical de-
fects, family responsibilities or for
other reasons, about quarter of
million would be unavailable.
How much would compulsory mill
tary training cost? The War De-
partment has so far made no esti-
mates of the probable costs. In
view of the current discussion of
CONSUMPTION, it is expected shortly
to study the question of costs. Per-
haps the best present yardstick is
the cost of maintaining the Civilian
Conservation Corps. This averages
about 81 900 man per year. Using
this yardstick, therefore, 600 900
men could be trained, for periods
Of six months each, at an annual
cost of about 100000 900.
Several Factors in Picture.
The cost of compulsory military
training would depend on several
factors. Among these are the length
of training, the rate of pay the
extent to which existing Army ia
cilities could be used for housing
and the amount of new equipment
that would be needed.
If Congress passed a peacetime
consumption law. trainees could be
selected in one of two ways. One
would be to follow the usual system
In foreign countries with conscript
armies and train our men by age
classes. This method has the dis
advantage Of taking whole class
out Of employment at the same time.
Also 1t provides no means for train
Ing men in the older age groups.
The second method would be to call
to the colors, by lot, men from a
number of age groups for example.
from 81 to 30.
In most of the larger European
powers and in many of the smaller
countries military service is COM
pulsory. Under the shadow of war,
Great Britain, early in 1885, adopted
conscription. The Versailles treaty
limited the German Army to 100 900
men. In 1885 the German govern
ment broke the treaty and made
military service universal and COM
pulsory. Older men, who had not
been trained in the postwar years,
were called to the colors for brief
training periods. So when the pres
ent war started Germany had a
trained man power.
France Had One Year for While.
After the World War. France for
some years required only one year
of service in the army. Later, un-
der the threat of German rearma-
ment. France extended to two years
the time of service in the army. A
French infantry battalion has four
companies. Each years class is
called up in two sections. and each
company in a battalion is made up
Of men from a different class or
kuDCldSS.
Italy has no recruits. or rockies.
Under the italian military system
boys and young men receive their
initial military training in schools.
or otherwise, before called to army
service.
Switzerland has universal train
Ing and the obligation for service
extends from 10 to 60 years of age.
The Swiss have no regular army,
with the exception of few profess
sional officers and instructors. With
a population of little more than
100000, Switzerland has nearly
100000 men who have had military
training. The Swiss Army, there
fore, is a real citizens army" or
militia.