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THE N@IONAL DEFENSE@¢T ‘Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom SECTION FOR THE UNITED STATES __NOMPN 2 SS°F10N YOR THE UNITED STATES ____— pit BULLETIN No. 4 APRIL, 1923 eee AN ANALYsIs By AMY WOODS. NATIONAL SECRETARY _ recat ot tha Azoeal Coxkence of tha W. LL, Walagon, D.C» Mesh 1500 — Provisions of the Constitution Purpose of the Bill + stati : tes the Quotations from the Special. Report of the Secretary of the Militia of the several States when called into the actual Citizenship and National Defense,” issued February, 1923, service of the United States. show, at the same time, the purpose of the bill and the plans Power is given Congress to declare war, to raise and sup- that are being promoted undsr it of | «Rollowing the port armies, to appropriate money for a term not exceeding neral Pershing, Chiet © » says: 4 in 1792 a h two years, to provide and maintain a navy, and to make rules lessons of the Revolution, ® law was passe¢ in 1 I w de for the government and regulation of the land and naval Present a ery military ed man and | serv ow ait and re- force All bills prescribes Phat the must orig War and quired that each State should be divided into districts accord- the Secretary of the Navy shall be civilians. Thus our Gov- ing to population. Through differences of opinion and lack ernment was planned to safeguard us from military domina- of interest the law was generally disregarded and little wes tion by placing the responsibility for the preparation and Cre a or wa the way of training OF organization as i ili imat ratio: ° . . sy: maintenance Ot ose military and Orr a oitsonal sccount. to “That we have not adopted the principle of universal mili- the people at comparatively short intervals. tary service renders it highly essential that training” From very early days of the Army and up to two and a leads up to, and as far as possible includes preparation ____palf years 2g0 Congress has jealously guarded this power military service, should be popularized y all aval and has prescribed the organization and the ‘commissioned methods. * * * “Asa matter of fact, ottiy “a — - and enlisted strength of the component parts of the Army. portion of our able-bodied men are really needed meet : any ordinary emergency; Yee it is essential at the Sa ne". that all young men snou receive training accor ing tyeomes The Change gencral plan and be impressed with their obligations, weet} . With the passage of the National Defense Act, June 4, ever called to the colors or not.” As advantages to smectite 1920, it yielded this prerogative. The controlling power of dividual, Gencral Pershing points out that such trainige Congress now rests solely in the annual appropriation. The velops self-discipline, respect for authority, physical ix only way in which Congress may limit the development of a ment and precision. sage . . militaristic regime, comparable if not similar to the pre-war Brigadier General William Lassiter, in the same 1g German military system, is by pulling the federal purse goes into more specific details. He says:. For the fir tit strings tighter. in our history as a Nation we have legislation authq This is so radical a change of system that every citizen the establishment of a definite framework on which Capes, of the United States should know the outstanding features built systematically and with reasonable promptness the Bity of this law. gen army required in times of great emergency. It pri What will be its effect upon the United States? for a National Army, National Guard, and Organizeg i] How will it affect the rest of the World? serves. , The Regular Army Neem! Criticisms From the Senate “The Regular Army provides the Ree eo, - e . : * necessary to furnis the overhead, and the other mach bane original be u on which ae ber Defense rotor necessary for the development. of the great citizen army SRC, 4 George E. Chamberlain, who in a previous session advocated also fur ishs our overseas garrisons, OOF coast defense troopge”” universal compulsory military training, in his analysis of it opile pant schoo! establisnme and bs lim ited muy before the Senate Committee on Military Affairs, said: “This abroad. P y ice at any time, at ho t pill was framed by military advisers of the Secretary of War. Sections are radical and even revolutionary in gheit nature The National Guard [ | ana reisbly now ther pkey Seats to be urged upon Con- “The National Guard forms by far the larger part © “Nearly all of the contro! heretofore exercised by Congress force in Deine in time of peace and our plans allot to it over the Army is to be transferred theoretically to the Presi- one-third o as war-time Army. Its Units have been allftted dent, but practically to the Chief of Staff; however, Congress 60 th to reach every Petipa in proportion to populaal® is still to be permitted to foot the bills.” It specifically gives so hoard Bait of the country has its due quota of to the President unlimited authority “as be may deem neces- tional Guard Units to raise. gary,” to prescribe the number, character, nomenclature, and). rey ized R strength of the many different organizations into which the - rganiz eserves four arms, of the eecry, and Cus may be divided Infantry, . “The Organized Reserve is a skeleton organization existing ry, 2 illery. . in peace time only in embryo, ut with the framework 50 — “It spells one-man dominance, staff despotism, and militar- established that on the outbreak of war the needed mana—-—- =~ ism to a degree never surpassed in the palmiest days of the power can be quickly absorbed into the framework. The Re- t General Staff of the German Army.” He speaks of serves are to furnish more than half of the National Army the Army as being made top-heavy with military ranks of for an emergency. The Units are apportioned so as to give the highest grades,” and in regar to the appointment of «° each community throughout the country its share of the force officers he says “The Czar of all the Russians never had to raise. We have at present nearly 70,000 reserve officers, more despotic control over his armies tn these respects.” veterans for the most part of the World War. Up to the The final bill which passed in 1920 and is known as the present time the number of enlisted men enrolled in the National Defense Act, differs in some respects from this reserves iS extremely limited. original bill, but the purpose and the outstanding features “The Units now being definitely established will provide are the same. | . - _ _ a force of about 3,000,000 men. : It is a substitute for Universal Military Training, to which “The personnel required for this expansion must be made the War Department was previously opposed. up of the young manhood of the country.” Fostasts: The eriginal National Defense Act was passed in 1916. In June 1920 this army organization act was amended and awith the amend- ments is now generally knows 43 the National Defense Act (Public-No. 242-O6th Congress,“‘An Act te amend an Act, ac."—Appreved, June 4, 1920.)