SOLDIERS AND CITIZENS

The trend towards a "citizen army" has not vanished completely with the disappearance of universal military training propaganda. The latest theory seems to be that if all citizens cannot be persuaded to become soldiers, at least all soldiers can become citizens by virtue of an education entirely beyond the pale of the military. The army has already evolved a method for sending eligible men to colleges all over the country; now the Marine Corps announces a different plan, based on the correspondence school idea. Every recruit receives with his uniform some text books, and a cordial invitation to his share in the free instruction. No matter where he may be stationed questions will be mailed to him and his "blue books" will be examined and graded at Marine headquarters and mailed back to him. From architecture and advertising down to plumbing and steam-fitting, the courses are designed for the purpose of fitting the marine for some advantageous employment as a non-military wage-earner in his later years.

It is easy, from the standpoint of a college education, to pick flaws in the plans of both the army and marine corps. The army's method seems to be of doubtful benefit to some few men; the value of the other plan depends entirely on whether the individuals will want to take advantage of the correspondence system, which is difficult to administer at best. But the whole non-military public will appreciate the effort originating within official circles to spread the "citizen army" idea. The A. E. F. showed for all time that the common layman can make a good soldier when trained; it remains to reverse the situation and train the soldier to be a good citizen. If recruiting is stimulated to such an extent that the whisper of "militarism" is heard again, it will be sufficient to recall that no longer is the soldiery an end in itself. It is a necessary evil which can perhaps be made more and more necessary because it will be less and loss an evil.