HEARING BEFORE A 634 SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE SIXTY-FOURTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON S. 1695 A BILL TO PROVIDE FOR THE MILITARY AND NAVAL THE UNITED STATES Printed for the use of the Committee on Military Affairs WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1917 UNIVERSAL MILITARY TRAINING. MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1916. UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AFFAIRS, Washington, D. C. The subcommittee met at 10 o'clock a. m. in the committee room at the Capitolfor the purpose of considering the bill S. 1695 to provide for the military and naval training of the citizen forces of the United States, Senator Geo. E. Chamberlain presiding. Present: Senators Chamberlain (chairman), Thomas, and Brady. Present also: Hon. Walter L. Fisher and others. STATEMENT OF THE CHAIRMAN. The CHAIRMAN. Gentlemen of the committee, ladies and gentlemen, those in attendance on this hearing, permit me to say as a prelude to the hearing that is about to begin that one year ago I introduced a bill in the Senate of the United States, known as S. 1695, to provide for the military and naval training of the citizen forces of the United States. That bill was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs of the Senate, and, a little later, about the 29th of December, 1915, this bill was referred to the Secretary of War for suggestions there and criticisms of the General Staff. On the 24th of February, 1916, the General Staff, through Gen. Scott, Acting Secretary of War, reported a suggested substitute, or rather suggested a number of amendments to this bill, and I am going to ask to have S. 1695, as well as the General Staff bill, printed in the record for the convenience of persons who desire to know what there is in the two. Since the report of the Acting Secretary of War was made, suggesting a substitute for S. 1695, I am advised that the War Department, through the General Staff, has gone into this whole subject at greater length, and, after more deliberate investigation, in view of the time that has been allowed for that purpose, is preparing another measure which, in their opinion, if approved by the department will more nearly suit present-day conditions. I desire to have this last proposed measure if finally completed printed with the other measures to which I have directed attention. Still later on, Capt. Moseley, of the General Staff, who took a great interest in the subject of military training, prepared a bill, using S. 1695 and the bill as suggested by the General Staff as a basis for the bill that was prepared by him, covering the whole subject of universal military training, and I will have the Moseley draft, as it is known, printed in the record with the other two, so that all the measures that have been suggested for universal military training may be 3 printed alongside of each other. There have not been any other bills proposed, as far as I am advised. I desire to have printed also the act of May 8, 1792, entitled "An act more effectually to provide for the national defense by establishing an uniform militia throughout the United States," in order to show that the subject of universal military training or probably it might be better to say compulsory military service is not new in this country. This act, adopted shortly after the Revolution, in view of the inherent weaknesses of the militia system as disclosed by that war, remained in effect until repealed in 1903. At the last meeting of the Military Affairs Committee a subcommittee of three was appointed to hold these hearings and report the testimony and the form of bill, if they should agree upon any, to the full committee for action when the report has been made. It is in pursuance of this order of the committee, and of these several pending measures that this meeting is held this morning. The subcommittee desires to give all who desire to be heard, as far as it can reasonably be done within the time we have for this hearing, an opportunity to be heard by the subcommittee. (The papers referred to by the chairman are here printed in full as follows:) CHAMBERLAIN BILL AS ORIGINALLY INTRODUCED IN THE SENATE. 8. 1695. A BILL To provide for the military and naval training of the citizen forces of the United States Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That all able-bodied male inhabitants of the United States who have resided within the continental limits thereof for the period of twelve months who are citizens of the United States or who have declared their intentions to become citizens of the United States shall be liable to be trained between the ages of twelve and twenty-three years, inclusive, as prescribed: Provided, That the following persons shall be exempt from the training prescribed in this act so long as the condition or status on which exemption is based continues: (a) Those who may be reported by the prescribed medical authorities as being physically unfit for any naval or military service whatever; (b) members of the permanent military or naval forces of the United States; (c) school-teachers who have duly qualified and are employed at a school of military or naval instruction or other prescribed course, as instructors or officers of the citizen cadet corps; (d) persons employed in the police or prison service of the United States, or of the several States, and of the several cities thereof; (e) those morally unfit; (f) members of any well-recognized religious sect or organization, at present organized and existing, whose creed forbids its members to participate in war in any form-whose religious convictions are against war or participation therein, in accordance with the creed of said religious organization (the exemption of this class, however, to include only such portion of the prescribed training as requires the bearing or use of arms); (h) mariners actually employed in the sea service of the United States, or of any of the States, or of any citizen or merchant within the United States; (i) those excused by the President in the interests of the public service by reason of employment therein; (j) temporary exemptions for periods not exceeding one year, and renewable from time to time, will be granted to persons whose compulsory attendance at the prescribed training would impose great hardships, either by reason of excessive distance or other cause: Provided, That the district commandant of each training district shall have the power to issue permanent and temporary certificates of exemption for the above-mentioned causes: Provided further, That in cases where a permanent or temporary certificate of exemption is denied by the district commandant, an appeal may be taken to the United States district court or judge thereof nearest the permanent office of the district commandant: Provided further, That in all cases where an exemption is applied for the burden of proof of the existence of cause for exemption shall be on the applicant, and in all cases of appeal from a denial of such permanent or temporary exemption the burden of proving the exemption shall rest on the person claiming the same. SEC. 2. That all persons trained under the provisions of this act shall be known and designated as follows: (a) Between the ages of twelve and seventeen years, inclusive, as the Citizen Cadet Corps; (b) between the ages of eighteen and twenty-three years, inclusive, as the Citizen Army. SEC. 3. That the training of the members of the Citizen Cadet Corps shall be divided into three periods, as follows: (a) The first period shall commence on the first day of July in the year in which the persons liable reach the age of twelve years and shall continue for two years. This training shall consist of not less than ninety hours in each year, terminating on the thirtieth day of June, and shall be devoted during this period to calisthenics and such other physical and military instruction, without arms as may be prescribed: Provided, That in the case of persons who reach the age of thirteen years in the year in which this act becomes effective, the training for this class of persons shall commence on the first day of July of that year and continue for one year; (b) the training in the second period shall begin on the first day of July in which the person is liable reach the age of fourteen years, and shall continue for two years. The training during this period shall be not less than ninety hours in each year, ending the thirtieth day of June, and shall include military training with the rifle, including gallery practice: Provided, That for persons who reach the age of fifteen in the year in which this act becomes effective the training shall begin on the first day of July of that year and continue for one year; (c) the training in the third period shall begin on the first day of July in the year in which the persons liable reach the age of sixteen years, and shall continue for two years. The training during this period shall be not less than ninety hours, and in addition thereto ten whole days in camp in each year, ending the thirtieth day of June. The training during this period shall include field exercises and target practice, in addition to other training that may be prescribed: Provided, That in the case of persons who reach the age of seventeen years in the year in which this act becomes effective the training shall begin on the first day of July in that year and continue for one year. SEC. 4. That the training for members of the Citizen Army shall be not less than one hundred and twenty hours, or twenty whole days, in each year, commencing on the first day of July and ending on the following thirtieth day of June, and shall continue for six years, and not less than ten whole days in each year shall be in camp of continuous training. SEC. 5. That the training hereinabove provided for the third period of the Citizen Cadet Corps and for the Citizen Army may be given in daily periods or it may be given in whole-day drills of not less than six hours, in half-day drills of not less than three hours, or in night drills of not less than one hour and a half: Provided, That this shall affect in no manner the prescribed days of consecutive training in camps of continuous training. SEC. 6. That the members of the Citizen Army shall be allotted to the various arms, corps, and departments in such numbers as may be necessary for tactical organization. SEC. 7. That those liable to military training who, on arrival at eighteen years of age, elect to enter the Citizen Navy shall undergo training for not less than the number of hours prescribed for training of members of the Citizen Army, and that this training shall include instruction aboard ship for a period not less than that prescribed for training of members of the Citizen Army in camps of continuous instruction. SEC. 8. That the training prescribed by this act for the Citizen Cadet Corps and for the Citizen Army and Citizen Navy may be given in public and private schools, academies, colleges, and universities, in the Organized Militia or Naval Militia of the several States, in organizations of Boy Scouts or similar organizations, provided that it conforms to the prescribed training for the corresponding years, is of equal annual duration, and is so certified by the district commandant of the district in which such instruction is imparted. · SEC. 9. That all persons liable to training for the Citizen Army under this act shall, upon reaching the age of twenty-four years and having satisfactorily completed the prescribed training, become members of the Citizen Army Reserve without further training: Provided, That all persons liable to this training who have reached the age of twenty-one years in or before the year in which this act becomes effective shall, without training, become members of the Citizen Army Reserve, unless they elect to undergo such training: Provided further, That at the termination of each annual training period in the Citizen Cadet Corps and in the Citizen Army or Navy each member shall be classified by the officers charged with that duty as efficient or nonefficient. Those classified as nonefficient either by reason of failure to attend during the prescribed period or because they have not attained a sufficient standard of efficiency shall be required to attend an equivalent additional period of training for each year in which they are rated as nonefficient. |